Section 305.23. Centralized services for a county office

(A) As used in this section:

(1) "County office" means the offices of the county commissioner, county auditor, county treasurer, county engineer, county recorder, county prosecuting attorney, county sheriff, county coroner, county park district, veterans service commission, clerk of the juvenile court, clerks of court for all divisions of the courts of common pleas, including the clerk of the court of common pleas, clerk of a county-operated municipal court, and clerk of a county court, and any agency, department, or division under the authority of, or receiving funding in whole or in part from, any of those county offices.

(2) "Human resources" means any and all functions relating to human resource management, including civil service, employee benefits administration, collective bargaining, labor relations, risk management, workers' compensation, unemployment compensation, and any human resource management function required by state or federal law, but "human resources" does not authorize a board of county commissioners to adopt a resolution establishing a centralized human resource service that requires any county office to conform to any classification and compensation plan, position descriptions, or organizational structure; to determine the rate of compensation of any employee appointed by the appointing authority of a county office or the salary ranges for positions of a county office within the aggregate limits set in the appropriation resolution of the board of county commissioners; to determine the number of or the terms of employment of any employee appointed by the appointing authority of a county office within the aggregate limits set in the board's appropriation resolution; or to exercise powers relating to the hiring, qualifications, evaluation, suspension, demotion, disciplinary action, layoff, furloughing, establishment of a modified work-week schedule, or the termination of any employee appointed by the appointing authority of any county office.

(B) Subject to division (C) of this section, a board of county commissioners may adopt a resolution establishing centralized purchasing, printing, transportation, vehicle maintenance, human resources, revenue collection, and mail operation services for a county office. Before adopting a resolution under this section, the board of county commissioners, in a written notice, shall inform any other county office that will be impacted by the resolution of the board's desire to establish a centralized service or services. The written notice shall include a statement that provides the rationale and the estimated savings anticipated for centralizing a service or services. In addition, the board may request any other county office to serve as the agent and responsible party for administering a centralized service or services. That county office may enter into an agreement with the board of county commissioners to administer the centralized service or services under such terms and conditions as are included in the agreement, but nothing in this section authorizes the board of county commissioners to require a county office to serve as the agent and responsible party for administering a centralized service or services at the board's request.

A resolution establishing a centralized service or services shall specify all of the following:

(1) The name of the county office that will be the agent and responsible party for administering a centralized service or services, and if the agent and responsible party is not the board of county commissioners, the designation of the county office that has entered into an agreement under division (B) of this section with the board to be the agent and responsible party;

(2) Which county offices are required to use the centralized services;

(3) If not all of the centralized services, which centralized service each county office must use;

(4) A list of rates and charges the county office shall pay for the centralized services;

(5) The date upon which each county office specified in the resolution shall begin using the centralized services.

Not later than ten days after a resolution is adopted under this section, the clerk of the board of county commissioners shall send a copy of the resolution to each county office that is specified in the resolution.

(C) A board of county commissioners shall not adopt a resolution that establishes a centralized service or services regarding any of the following:

(1) Purchases made for contract services with moneys from the county recorder's technology fund established under section 317.321 of the Revised Code or from the funds that are paid out of the general fund of the county under sections 325.071 and 325.12 of the Revised Code;

(2) Purchases made with moneys from the real estate assessment fund established under section 325.31 of the Revised Code;

(3) Purchases of financial software used by the county auditor;

(4) The printing of county property tax bills;

(5) The collection of any taxes, assessments, and fees the county treasurer is required by law to collect;

(6) Purchases of software used by the county recorder.

(D) Nothing in this section authorizes the board of county commissioners to have control or authority over funds that are received directly by a county office under another section of the Revised Code, or to control, or have authority regarding, the expenditure or use of such funds.

Amended by 130th General Assembly File No. 25, HB 59, §101.01, eff. 9/29/2013.

Amended by 129th General AssemblyFile No.64, HB 225, §1, eff. 3/22/2012.

Added by 129th General AssemblyFile No.28, HB 153, §101.01, eff. 9/29/2011.