From the Statehouse 2007 No. 22
by Jennifer Garrison
Sep. 24, 2007
FROM THE STATEHOUSE- SEPTEMBER 21, 2007
Last week the Ohio House of Representatives took up a legislation regarding a subject very important to residents of this district, the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District.
This bill revises the board of directors of the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District requiring the board be appointed by the presidents of the boards of county commissioners of the 18 counties in the watershed. Today the conservancy court is made up of 18 Court of Common Pleas judges from the 18 counties and they appoint a 5 member board. This legislation also increases the board from five to nine members.
There are 20 conservancy districts in the State none of which are larger than the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District. This district goes from Akron in the north to Marietta in the south and Cadiz in the east to Mansfield in the west. Under this legislation, the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy district board of directors will perform certain functions under the Conservancy Districts Law that are performed by the conservancy court under current law.
Basically this bill eliminates the conservancy court. Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Moyer asked the legislature to support this legislation because of the conflict of interest judges feel in this setting.
This bill makes a number of good governance changes to the current law. The concerns about the Muskingum Watershed came to light because of the opposition to the assessment to property owners in the watershed. The Watershed said they needed the money for flood control purposes. Opponents questioned if the existing monies were being used wisely and if the Conservancy Court was merely rubber stamping the recommendation of the board. As a result of being challenged the watershed provided more specific information on how the assessment monies were to be used.
I believe if the taxpayer themselves do not vote on a tax, it is important for a public official who is directly responsible to the taxpayer be the one to assess or tax the public. Therefore, I offered an amendment on the House floor designating the Conservancy board be made up of 9 County Engineers from the counties in the watershed. County Engineers have the technical background to make important decisions on our dams and they are accountable to the taxpayer through the election process. This amendment was tabled.
Amended House bill 47 establishes new procedures for the incorporation of additional land in the Muskingum Watershed. In the northern part of the district there are lands that are in the watershed footprint, but not included in the watershed for assessment purposes. In the event there is a future assessment it should be fair.
Amended House bill 47 prohibits the board of directors of the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy district from levying an assessment on land owned by a church. However, if a church requests that the church's land be subject to the assessment then it may be assessed. I voted “yes” on this bill because I believe there are some improvements over existing law, but I will work to improve the make up of the board in the Senate. The bill passed out of the House.
Last week I also supported Amended House bill 181 which requires each school mark the records of a student when the school receives notice from a law enforcement agency that the student has been reported to be a missing child. The schools then will notify law enforcement when it receives a request for records on a marked file. This bill was supported by the Ohio Association of Elementary School Administrators and the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police. The bill passed the House.
You can reach Jennifer Garrison at her Columbus office at 614-644-8728 or in the district at 740-373-2414 or by e-mail at jennifer@jennifergarrison.com. Her website is Riffe Center | 77 South High Street | Columbus Ohio 43215-6111 | (800) 282-0253 | District93@ohr.state.oh.us
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