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Local Government Levy "Dont's"

Friday, October 4, 2019

When a school district, village, city, township or county has a levy or bond issue on the ballot, remember that Local Government may not:

·Use public money to support or oppose the passage of a levy or bond issue;

·Compensate an employee for any time spent at an activity intended to influence the outcome of a levy or  issue;

·Publish information with the intent to influence, support, or oppose the outcome of a levy;

·Allow a levy committee to use their facilities to hold a private/closed meeting;

·Allow a levy committee to use their facilities to hold an exclusive meeting;

·Allow a levy committee to use that subdivision’s resources (i.e. equipment and supplies) free-of-charge. The committee must pay for the usage;

·Allow a pro-levy or anti-levy committee to use that subdivision’s resources without allowing the same resources to be used by a committee with the opposite position;

·Allow a levy committee to use their nonprofit bulk mail rate permit;

·Spend public money to create and send home political subdivision-sponsored levy-related communications that are intended to influence, support, or oppose the outcome of a levy;

·Allow a pro-levy or anti-levy committee to send home communications without allowing an opposing committee to also send home communications;

·Allow employees to attend and speak at levy committee meetings during regular working hours with the intent of influencing, supporting, or opposing the outcome of a levy;

              ·Publish, distribute, or otherwise communicate information that:

·Contains defamatory, libelous, or obscene matter;

·Promotes alcoholic beverages, cigarettes or other tobacco products, or any illegal product, service, or activity;

·Promotes illegal discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, handicap, age or ancestry.

              ·Publish, distribute, or otherwise communicate information that supports or opposes:

·Any labor organization or any action by, on behalf of, or against any labor organization;

·The nomination or election of a candidate for public office,

·The investigation, prosecution, or recall of a public official

·The passage of a levy or bond issue.

This includes social media profiles created, maintained, and/or used by a school district, village, city, township or county.

The intention of this press release is to remind entities what they should not use public funds on during election and levy season and is based on ORC Section 9.03