Governor Mike DeWine has signed Ohio’s fiscal year (FY) 2020-2021 operating budget into law setting the Public Library Fund (PLF) at 1.7% of the state’s General Revenue Fund (GRF).

The budget signed today included 25 line-item vetoes, including the two tax-related provisions that the OLC opposed and asked the Governor to veto:

• Veto-Item # 23 –  Exemption of Residential Development Property
  (HB 149 – Property Tax Exemption for Homebuilders)
  This item would have required that agricultural property subdivided into residential units be valued at a rate other than market value. This language would have negatively impacted local governments including public libraries.
• Veto-Item #25 – Property Tax Notices and Ballot Language
  (HB 76 – Ballot Language)
  This item would have changed the way a property tax levy was described on a ballot. The goal was to increase transparency for property tax levy ballot language. However, the change was confusing and would have adversely affected public libraries.

View the Governor’s Veto Message (PDF)

View OLC’s Veto Request Letter (PDF)

In addition, the budget includes a true-up amendment that will make public libraries whole for the month of July. As we indicated in previous communications, the July PLF distribution was based on the PLF at 1.66%. The true-up language in the new budget will appropriate an additional $916,705 from the state’s General Revenue Fund (GRF) to the PLF and it will be distributed based on the current formula in statute.

View the Amendment (PDF)

Overall, we were able to:

• increase public library funding to 1.7% for the next two years
• make the PLF whole for the month of July with the true-up amendment
• get two, tax-related provisions that would have been harmful to public libraries vetoed by the Governor.