Lake County Times

The Ohio Senate and House have successfully passed Senate Bill 91, which includes legislation sponsored by Senator Jerry C. Cirino (R-Kirtland) aimed at protecting the budgetary powers of local city councils. The bill seeks to reinforce the statutory authority of municipalities in making financial decisions and ensure that they can maintain control over their budgets.

Senator Cirino emphasized the importance of this provision in safeguarding the budgeting authority of city councils and ensuring the financial stability of cities. He stated, "Council members are the duly elected representatives of their city. It is their duty and responsibility under the law to appropriate city funds to care for the safety and security of their fellow residents."

The need for this legislation became evident when the City of Cleveland faced a proposal to allocate 2% of its budget to an unelected and unaccountable board. Fortunately, the people of Cleveland rejected this initiative. However, the passage of Senate Bill 91 will protect all Ohio cities from the possibility of losing control over a significant portion of their budgets.

The legislation reinforces Ohio law, which already requires appropriation decisions to be made by the legislative authority of a municipal corporation. By strengthening this law, Senate Bill 91 ensures that the budgeting authority of elected city councils cannot be circumvented. It establishes the lawful fiscal authority of these governing bodies.

With the successful passage of Senate Bill 91 in both the Ohio Senate and House, the legislation now awaits the signature of Governor DeWine. Once signed into law, it will provide local city councils with the necessary tools to maintain control over their budgets and protect their appropriation power.

To find out more, go to this link: https://ohiosenate.gov/members/jerry-c-cirino/news/cirino-bill-to-secure-local-budgetary-security-sent-to-governor