(A) Whenever the county commissioners of any county declare, by resolution, that it is essential to the best interests of the county that a county transit system be established, the commissioners shall either appoint a county transit board, with powers and duties as specified by sections 306.01 to 306.13 and section 306.99 of the Revised Code, or state in the resolution that the board of county commissioners itself shall operate the county transit system and assume all the powers and duties assigned to a board of county commissioners in sections 306.04, 306.06, 306.08, 306.09, 306.10, 306.12, and 306.13 of the Revised Code; except that no county transit board shall be appointed nor any county transit system established in any county which is included in whole or in part in a regional transit authority established pursuant to sections 306.30 to 306.53 of the Revised Code.

(B) Once a county transit system has been established, the board of county commissioners may, by resolution, change the governing board for the system from the board of county commissioners to a county transit board, or from a county transit board to the board of county commissioners. If the resolution transfers the governing authority from the county transit board to the board of county commissioners, the transfer shall not occur for six months after the date of the resolution. On the date of transfer, the transit board shall be dissolved, the board of county commissioners shall assume all contracts, property, and debts of the transit board, and all transit employees shall be transferred to the control of the board of county commissioners. the board of county commissioners shall collect all taxes levied by the transit board for the county transit system.

If the resolution transfers the governing authority to a county transit board, the board of county commissioners shall appoint a board under section 306.02 of the Revised Code. All transit employees except the executive director of the system shall be transferred to the control of the county transit board. The board of county commissioners shall transfer to the transit board, and the transit board shall assume, all contracts, property, and debts of the county relative to the transit system. The county shall continue to collect any taxes it levies for the transit system, but the proceeds shall be deposited in the funds of the transit board for the transit purposes for which they were levied.

(C) Any county that has a county transit system operated by the board of county commissioners shall create within the county general fund an account for the county transit system.

Effective Date: 10-25-1995.