As used in this chapter, in sections 9.95, 9.96, and 2151.655 of the Revised Code, in other sections of the Revised Code that make reference to this chapter unless the context does not permit, and in related proceedings, unless otherwise expressly provided:

(A) "Acquisition" as applied to real or personal property includes, among other forms of acquisition, acquisition by exercise of a purchase option, and acquisition of interests in property, including, without limitation, easements and rights-of-way, and leasehold and other lease interests initially extending or extendable for a period of at least sixty months.

(B) "Anticipatory securities" means securities, including notes, issued in anticipation of the issuance of other securities.

(C) "Board of elections" means the county board of elections of the county in which the subdivision is located. If the subdivision is located in more than one county, "board of elections" means the county board of elections of the county that contains the largest portion of the population of the subdivision or that otherwise has jurisdiction in practice over and customarily handles election matters relating to the subdivision.

(D) "Bond retirement fund" means the bond retirement fund provided for in section 5705.09 of the Revised Code, and also means a sinking fund or any other special fund, regardless of the name applied to it, established by or pursuant to law or the proceedings for the payment of debt charges. Provision may be made in the applicable proceedings for the establishment in a bond retirement fund of separate accounts relating to debt charges on particular securities, or on securities payable from the same or common sources, and for the application of moneys in those accounts only to specified debt charges on specified securities or categories of securities. Subject to law and any provisions in the applicable proceedings, moneys in a bond retirement fund or separate account in a bond retirement fund may be transferred to other funds and accounts.

(E) "Capitalized interest" means all or a portion of the interest payable on securities from their date to a date stated or provided for in the applicable legislation, which interest is to be paid from the proceeds of the securities.

(F) "Chapter 133. securities" means securities authorized by or issued pursuant to or in accordance with this chapter.

(G) "County auditor" means the county auditor of the county in which the subdivision is located. If the subdivision is located in more than one county, "county auditor" means the county auditor of the county that contains the highest amount of the tax valuation of the subdivision or that otherwise has jurisdiction in practice over and customarily handles property tax matters relating to the subdivision. In the case of a county that has adopted a charter, "county auditor" means the officer who generally has the duties and functions provided in the Revised Code for a county auditor.

(H) "Credit enhancement facilities" means letters of credit, lines of credit, stand-by, contingent, or firm securities purchase agreements, insurance, or surety arrangements, guarantees, and other arrangements that provide for direct or contingent payment of debt charges, for security or additional security in the event of nonpayment or default in respect of securities, or for making payment of debt charges to and at the option and on demand of securities holders or at the option of the issuer or upon certain conditions occurring under put or similar arrangements, or for otherwise supporting the credit or liquidity of the securities, and includes credit, reimbursement, marketing, remarketing, indexing, carrying, interest rate hedge, and subrogation agreements, and other agreements and arrangements for payment and reimbursement of the person providing the credit enhancement facility and the security for that payment and reimbursement.

(I) "Current operating expenses" or "current expenses" means the lawful expenditures of a subdivision, except those for permanent improvements and for payments of debt charges of the subdivision.

(J) "Debt charges" means the principal, including any mandatory sinking fund deposits and mandatory redemption payments, interest, and any redemption premium, payable on securities as those payments come due and are payable. The use of "debt charges" for this purpose does not imply that any particular securities constitute debt within the meaning of the Ohio Constitution or other laws.

(K) "Financing costs" means all costs and expenses relating to the authorization, including any required election, issuance, sale, delivery, authentication, deposit, custody, clearing, registration, transfer, exchange, fractionalization, replacement, payment, and servicing of securities, including, without limitation, costs and expenses for or relating to publication and printing, postage, delivery, preliminary and final official statements, offering circulars, and informational statements, travel and transportation, underwriters, placement agents, investment bankers, paying agents, registrars, authenticating agents, remarketing agents, custodians, clearing agencies or corporations, securities depositories, financial advisory services, certifications, audits, federal or state regulatory agencies, accounting and computation services, legal services and obtaining approving legal opinions and other legal opinions, credit ratings, redemption premiums, and credit enhancement facilities. Financing costs may be paid from any moneys available for the purpose, including, unless otherwise provided in the proceedings, from the proceeds of the securities to which they relate and, as to future financing costs, from the same sources from which debt charges on the securities are paid and as though debt charges.

(L) "Fiscal officer" means the following, or, in the case of absence or vacancy in the office, a deputy or assistant authorized by law or charter to act in the place of the named officer, or if there is no such authorization then the deputy or assistant authorized by legislation to act in the place of the named officer for purposes of this chapter, in the case of the following subdivisions:

(1) A county, the county auditor;

(2) A municipal corporation, the city auditor or village clerk or clerk-treasurer, or the officer who, by virtue of a charter, has the duties and functions provided in the Revised Code for the city auditor or village clerk or clerk-treasurer;

(3) A school district, the treasurer of the board of education;

(4) A regional water and sewer district, the secretary of the board of trustees;

(5) A joint township hospital district, the treasurer of the district;

(6) A joint ambulance district, the clerk of the board of trustees;

(7) A joint recreation district, the person designated pursuant to section 755.15 of the Revised Code;

(8) A detention facility district or a district organized under section 2151.65 of the Revised Code or a combined district organized under sections 2152.41 and 2151.65 of the Revised Code, the county auditor of the county designated by law to act as the auditor of the district;

(9) A township, a fire district organized under division (C) of section 505.37 of the Revised Code, or a township police district, the fiscal officer of the township;

(10) A joint fire district, the clerk of the board of trustees of that district;

(11) A regional or county library district, the person responsible for the financial affairs of that district;

(12) A joint solid waste management district, the fiscal officer appointed by the board of directors of the district under section 343.01 of the Revised Code;

(13) A joint emergency medical services district, the person appointed as fiscal officer pursuant to division (D) of section 307.053 of the Revised Code;

(14) A fire and ambulance district, the person appointed as fiscal officer under division (B) of section 505.375 of the Revised Code;

(15) A subdivision described in division (MM)(19) of this section, the officer who is designated by law as or performs the functions of its chief fiscal officer;

(16) A joint police district, the treasurer of the district;

(17) A lake facilities authority, the fiscal officer designated under section 353.02 of the Revised Code;

(18) A regional transportation improvement project, the county auditor designated under section 5595.10 of the Revised Code.

(M) "Fiscal year" has the same meaning as in section 9.34 of the Revised Code.

(N) "Fractionalized interests in public obligations" means participations, certificates of participation, shares, or other instruments or agreements, separate from the public obligations themselves, evidencing ownership of interests in public obligations or of rights to receive payments of, or on account of, principal or interest or their equivalents payable by or on behalf of an obligor pursuant to public obligations.

(O) "Fully registered securities" means securities in certificated or uncertificated form, registered as to both principal and interest in the name of the owner.

(P) "Fund" means to provide for the payment of debt charges and expenses related to that payment at or prior to retirement by purchase, call for redemption, payment at maturity, or otherwise.

(Q) "General obligation" means securities to the payment of debt charges on which the full faith and credit and the general property taxing power, including taxes within the tax limitation if available to the subdivision, of the subdivision are pledged.

(R) "Interest" or "interest equivalent" means those payments or portions of payments, however denominated, that constitute or represent consideration for forbearing the collection of money, or for deferring the receipt of payment of money to a future time.

(S) "Internal Revenue Code" means the "Internal Revenue Code of 1986," 100 Stat. 2085, 26 U.S.C.A. 1 et seq., as amended, and includes any laws of the United States providing for application of that code.

(T) "Issuer" means any public issuer and any nonprofit corporation authorized to issue securities for or on behalf of any public issuer.

(U) "Legislation" means an ordinance or resolution passed by a majority affirmative vote of the then members of the taxing authority unless a different vote is required by charter provisions governing the passage of the particular legislation by the taxing authority.

(V) "Mandatory sinking fund redemption requirements" means amounts required by proceedings to be deposited in a bond retirement fund for the purpose of paying in any year or fiscal year by mandatory redemption prior to stated maturity the principal of securities that is due and payable, except for mandatory prior redemption requirements as provided in those proceedings, in a subsequent year or fiscal year.

(W) "Mandatory sinking fund requirements" means amounts required by proceedings to be deposited in a year or fiscal year in a bond retirement fund for the purpose of paying the principal of securities that is due and payable in a subsequent year or fiscal year.

(X) "Net indebtedness" has the same meaning as in division (A) of section 133.04 of the Revised Code.

(Y) "Obligor," in the case of securities or fractionalized interests in public obligations issued by another person the debt charges or their equivalents on which are payable from payments made by a public issuer, means that public issuer.

(Z) "One purpose" relating to permanent improvements means any one permanent improvement or group or category of permanent improvements for the same utility, enterprise, system, or project, development or redevelopment project, or for or devoted to the same general purpose, function, or use or for which self-supporting securities, based on the same or different sources of revenues, may be issued or for which special assessments may be levied by a single ordinance or resolution. "One purpose" includes, but is not limited to, in any case any off-street parking facilities relating to another permanent improvement, and:

(1) Any number of roads, highways, streets, bridges, sidewalks, and viaducts;

(2) Any number of off-street parking facilities;

(3) In the case of a county, any number of permanent improvements for courthouse, jail, county offices, and other county buildings, and related facilities;

(4) In the case of a school district, any number of facilities and buildings for school district purposes, and related facilities.

(AA) "Outstanding," referring to securities, means securities that have been issued, delivered, and paid for, except any of the following:

(1) Securities canceled upon surrender, exchange, or transfer, or upon payment or redemption;

(2) Securities in replacement of which or in exchange for which other securities have been issued;

(3) Securities for the payment, or redemption or purchase for cancellation prior to maturity, of which sufficient moneys or investments, in accordance with the applicable legislation or other proceedings or any applicable law, by mandatory sinking fund redemption requirements, mandatory sinking fund requirements, or otherwise, have been deposited, and credited for the purpose in a bond retirement fund or with a trustee or paying or escrow agent, whether at or prior to their maturity or redemption, and, in the case of securities to be redeemed prior to their stated maturity, notice of redemption has been given or satisfactory arrangements have been made for giving notice of that redemption, or waiver of that notice by or on behalf of the affected security holders has been filed with the subdivision or its agent for the purpose.

(BB) "Paying agent" means the one or more banks, trust companies, or other financial institutions or qualified persons, including an appropriate office or officer of the subdivision, designated as a paying agent or place of payment of debt charges on the particular securities.

(CC) "Permanent improvement" or "improvement" means any property, asset, or improvement certified by the fiscal officer, which certification is conclusive, as having an estimated life or period of usefulness of five years or more, and includes, but is not limited to, real estate, buildings, and personal property and interests in real estate, buildings, and personal property, equipment, furnishings, and site improvements, and reconstruction, rehabilitation, renovation, installation, improvement, enlargement, and extension of property, assets, or improvements so certified as having an estimated life or period of usefulness of five years or more. The acquisition of all the stock ownership of a corporation is the acquisition of a permanent improvement to the extent that the value of that stock is represented by permanent improvements. A permanent improvement for parking, highway, road, and street purposes includes resurfacing, but does not include ordinary repair.

(DD) "Person" has the same meaning as in section 1.59 of the Revised Code and also includes any federal, state, interstate, regional, or local governmental agency, any subdivision, and any combination of those persons.

(EE) "Proceedings" means the legislation, certifications, notices, orders, sale proceedings, trust agreement or indenture, mortgage, lease, lease-purchase agreement, assignment, credit enhancement facility agreements, and other agreements, instruments, and documents, as amended and supplemented, and any election proceedings, authorizing, or providing for the terms and conditions applicable to, or providing for the security or sale or award of, public obligations, and includes the provisions set forth or incorporated in those public obligations and proceedings.

(FF) "Public issuer" means any of the following that is authorized by law to issue securities or enter into public obligations:

(1) The state, including an agency, commission, officer, institution, board, authority, or other instrumentality of the state;

(2) A taxing authority, subdivision, district, or other local public or governmental entity, and any combination or consortium, or public division, district, commission, authority, department, board, officer, or institution, thereof;

(3) Any other body corporate and politic, or other public entity.

(GG) "Public obligations" means both of the following:

(1) Securities;

(2) Obligations of a public issuer to make payments under installment sale, lease, lease purchase, or similar agreements, which obligations may bear interest or interest equivalent.

(HH) "Refund" means to fund and retire outstanding securities, including advance refunding with or without payment or redemption prior to maturity.

(II) "Register" means the books kept and maintained by the registrar for registration, exchange, and transfer of registered securities.

(JJ) "Registrar" means the person responsible for keeping the register for the particular registered securities, designated by or pursuant to the proceedings.

(KK) "Securities" means bonds, notes, certificates of indebtedness, commercial paper, and other instruments in writing, including, unless the context does not admit, anticipatory securities, issued by an issuer to evidence its obligation to repay money borrowed, or to pay interest, by, or to pay at any future time other money obligations of, the issuer of the securities, but not including public obligations described in division (GG)(2) of this section.

(LL) "Self-supporting securities" means securities or portions of securities issued for the purpose of paying costs of permanent improvements to the extent that receipts of the subdivision, other than the proceeds of taxes levied by that subdivision, derived from or with respect to the improvements or the operation of the improvements being financed, or the enterprise, system, project, or category of improvements of which the improvements being financed are part, are estimated by the fiscal officer to be sufficient to pay the current expenses of that operation or of those improvements or enterprise, system, project, or categories of improvements and the debt charges payable from those receipts on securities issued for the purpose. Until such time as the improvements or increases in rates and charges have been in operation or effect for a period of at least six months, the receipts therefrom, for purposes of this definition, shall be those estimated by the fiscal officer, except that those receipts may include, without limitation, payments made and to be made to the subdivision under leases or agreements in effect at the time the estimate is made. In the case of an operation, improvements, or enterprise, system, project, or category of improvements without at least a six-month history of receipts, the estimate of receipts by the fiscal officer, other than those to be derived under leases and agreements then in effect, shall be confirmed by the taxing authority.

(MM) "Subdivision" means any of the following:

(1) A county, including a county that has adopted a charter under Article X, Ohio Constitution;

(2) A municipal corporation, including a municipal corporation that has adopted a charter under Article XVIII, Ohio Constitution;

(3) A school district;

(4) A regional water and sewer district organized under Chapter 6119. of the Revised Code;

(5) A joint township hospital district organized under section 513.07 of the Revised Code;

(6) A joint ambulance district organized under section 505.71 of the Revised Code;

(7) A joint recreation district organized under division (C) of section 755.14 of the Revised Code;

(8) A detention facility district organized under section 2152.41, a district organized under section 2151.65, or a combined district organized under sections 2152.41 and 2151.65 of the Revised Code;

(9) A township police district organized under section 505.48 of the Revised Code;

(10) A township;

(11) A joint fire district organized under section 505.371 of the Revised Code;

(12) A county library district created under section 3375.19 or a regional library district created under section 3375.28 of the Revised Code;

(13) A joint solid waste management district organized under section 343.01 or 343.012 of the Revised Code;

(14) A joint emergency medical services district organized under section 307.052 of the Revised Code;

(15) A fire and ambulance district organized under section 505.375 of the Revised Code;

(16) A fire district organized under division (C) of section 505.37 of the Revised Code;

(17) A joint police district organized under section 505.482 of the Revised Code;

(18) A lake facilities authority created under Chapter 353. of the Revised Code;

(19) A regional transportation improvement project created under Chapter 5595. of the Revised Code;

(20) Any other political subdivision or taxing district or other local public body or agency authorized by this chapter or other laws to issue Chapter 133. securities.

(NN) "Taxing authority" means in the case of the following subdivisions:

(1) A county, a county library district, or a regional library district, the board or boards of county commissioners, or other legislative authority of a county that has adopted a charter under Article X, Ohio Constitution, but with respect to such a library district acting solely as agent for the board of trustees of that district;

(2) A municipal corporation, the legislative authority;

(3) A school district, the board of education;

(4) A regional water and sewer district, a joint ambulance district, a joint recreation district, a fire and ambulance district, or a joint fire district, the board of trustees of the district;

(5) A joint township hospital district, the joint township hospital board;

(6) A detention facility district or a district organized under section 2151.65 of the Revised Code, a combined district organized under sections 2152.41 and 2151.65 of the Revised Code, or a joint emergency medical services district, the joint board of county commissioners;

(7) A township, a fire district organized under division (C) of section 505.37 of the Revised Code, or a township police district, the board of township trustees;

(8) A joint solid waste management district organized under section 343.01 or 343.012 of the Revised Code, the board of directors of the district;

(9) A subdivision described in division (MM)(19) of this section, the legislative or governing body or official;

(10) A joint police district, the joint police district board;

(11) A lake facilities authority, the board of directors;

(12) A regional transportation improvement project, the governing board.

(OO) "Tax limitation" means the "ten-mill limitation" as defined in section 5705.02 of the Revised Code without diminution by reason of section 5705.313 of the Revised Code or otherwise, or, in the case of a municipal corporation or county with a different charter limitation on property taxes levied to pay debt charges on unvoted securities, that charter limitation. Those limitations shall be respectively referred to as the "ten-mill limitation" and the "charter tax limitation."

(PP) "Tax valuation" means the aggregate of the valuations of property subject to ad valorem property taxation by the subdivision on the real property, personal property, and public utility property tax lists and duplicates most recently certified for collection, and shall be calculated without deductions of the valuations of otherwise taxable property exempt in whole or in part from taxation by reason of exemptions of certain amounts of taxable value under division (C) of section 5709.01, tax reductions under section 323.152 of the Revised Code, or similar laws now or in the future in effect.

For purposes of section 133.06 of the Revised Code, "tax valuation" shall not include the valuation of tangible personal property used in business, telephone or telegraph property, interexchange telecommunications company property, or personal property owned or leased by a railroad company and used in railroad operations listed under or described in section 5711.22, division (B) or (F) of section 5727.111, or section 5727.12 of the Revised Code.

(QQ) "Year" means the calendar year.

(RR) "Administrative agent," "agent," "commercial paper," "floating rate interest structure," "indexing agent," "interest rate hedge," "interest rate period," "put arrangement," and "remarketing agent" have the same meanings as in section 9.98 of the Revised Code.

(SS) "Sales tax supported" means obligations to the payment of debt charges on which an additional sales tax or additional sales taxes have been pledged by the taxing authority of a county pursuant to section 133.081 of the Revised Code.

(TT) "Tourism development district revenue supported" means obligations to the payment of debt charges on which tourism development district revenue has been pledged by the taxing authority of a municipal corporation or township under section 133.083 of the Revised Code.

Amended by 131st General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 64, §101.01, eff. 9/29/2015.

Amended by 130th General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 494, §1, eff. 3/23/2015.

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

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

Amended by 128th General AssemblyFile No.9, HB 1, §101.01, eff. 10/16/2009.

Effective Date: 03-31-2003; 05-06-2005; 07-01-2005; 12-20-2005; 03-30-2006; 2007 HB119 06-30-2007

Related Legislative Provision: See 128th General AssemblyFile No.26, SB 155, §4 .