A copy of the resolution, having been placed on the desks of each member of Council prior to introduction, was read by title.

Mayor Duncan explained that this is a resolution to express Council’s opposition to HB 335, which was recently pending before the Ohio General Assembly. It appears that HB 335 is no longer viable due to the end of the legislative session, but it could be reintroduced with the next session and Council remains committed to opposing it.

Mayor Duncan commends Governor DeWine for vetoing several provisions within the state budget, particularly those concerning "inside millage." He pointed out that in the City of Oakwood, only $0.08 of each property tax dollar directly supports the city, with the remainder allocated to other local organizations, including school districts and libraries.

HB 335 was introduced as a property tax relief measure, proposing sweeping changes to the property tax system in Ohio. Among other things, this would include the elimination of unvoted inside millage for counties, municipalities, and school districts beginning in tax year 2025. Inside millage is a long-standing and vital source of revenue that supports the provision of essential local services such as police and fire protection, mandatory contributions to the Ohio Police & Fire Pension Fund, infrastructure maintenance, and parks and recreation without the need for voter approval. Its elimination would substantially reduce the City’s financial resources and require additional voted levies to continue funding at current levels.

In addition, HB 335 would undermine local decision-making and fiscal control by granting the county budget commission new authority to limit local property tax rates, review and revise municipal budgets, and reduce levies based on their determination of carryover balances—despite these commissions being largely unknown to the public and unelected by the residents they would impact.

HB 335 would have imposed these changes without providing revenue replacement by the state for municipalities, potentially threatening the delivery of basic public services and shifting the burden to income or sales taxes.

The City of Oakwood supports meaningful, collaborative property tax reform, but believes HB 335’s approach is unbalanced and extremely detrimental to the financial health and self-determination of Ohio’s local governments. City Council strenuously opposes such legislation, whether in this or any future legislative session.

In addition to the resolution being introduced, Council has also sent a letter to our state representatives to make our views known.

Thereupon, it was moved by Mayor Duncan and seconded by Vice Mayor Byington that the resolution be passed.

Upon call of the roll on the question of the motion, the following vote was recorded:

There being five (5) yea votes and no (0) nay votes thereon, said resolution was declared duly passed and it was so ordered.

CITY MANAGER’S COMMENTS: Mrs. Smiddy shared the following information:

The Oakwood Public Safety Department was recently awarded a $2,500 grant from the Ohio Division of EMS Training and Equipment. This funding will primarily support the department’s ongoing EMS continuing education program.