(A) The provisions of this section prevail over conflicting provisions of this chapter; however, except as provided in this section, the community college district and its board of trustees created by this section shall comply with the provisions of this chapter.

(B)

(1) The territory of Warren county is hereby added to the territory of the community college district of Montgomery county, creating the Warren county Montgomery county community college district and replacing the former community college district of Montgomery county. The district created in this section may be known as and operate under the name of the Sinclair community college district.

(2) The community college district created by this section shall be divided into separate taxing subdistricts, one consisting of the territory of Warren county, and another consisting of the territory of Montgomery county. Taxes for the benefit of the community college district shall be levied and the benefits from the revenues of those taxes shall be apportioned among the subdistricts only in accordance with this section.

(C) The board of trustees of the two-county community college district created by this section shall consist of eleven members.

(1) Nine members of the board of trustees shall be residents of Montgomery county. The initial Montgomery county members shall be the same members of the board of trustees of the former community college district of Montgomery county, as it existed prior to the effective date of this section, whose terms shall expire and whose successors shall be appointed as they would have otherwise under division (B) of section 3354.05 of the Revised Code.

(2) Two members of the board of trustees shall be residents of Warren county, one of whom shall be appointed by the board of county commissioners of Warren county, and one of whom shall be appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the senate. Each of the initial appointments under division (C)(2) of this section shall be made within ninety days after the effective date of this section. At the time of the initial meeting of the trustees of the community college district created by this section, a drawing among the Warren county appointees shall be held to determine the initial term of each appointee, one trustee to serve for a term ending three years after the expiration date of the Montgomery county trustee's term that is the first to expire after the effective date of this section, and the other trustee to serve for a term ending five years after the expiration date of the Montgomery county trustee's term that is the first to expire after the effective date of this section. Thereafter, the successive terms of the Warren county members of the board of trustees shall be for five years, each term ending on the same day of the same month of the year as did the term which it succeeds. Each trustee shall hold office from the date of the trustee's appointment until the end of the term for which appointed. Any trustee appointed to fill a vacancy occurring prior to the expiration of the term for which the trustee's predecessor was appointed shall hold office for the remainder of that term. Any trustee shall continue in office subsequent to the expiration date of the trustee's term until the trustee's successor takes office, or until a period of sixty days has elapsed, whichever occurs first.

(D) The board of trustees of the community college district created by this section shall continue to comply with division (G) of section 3354.09 of the Revised Code, regarding tuition for students who are residents of Ohio but not of the district, and for students who are nonresidents of Ohio. The tuition rate shall be based on the student's county of residence and shall apply to all Sinclair community college classes in all Sinclair community college locations. Except as provided in division (G)(2) of this section, students who are residents of Warren county shall continue to be charged tuition at the same rate as Ohio residents who are not residents of the district.

(E)

(1) Unless the conditions prescribed in division (F) of this section are satisfied, the trustees from each respective county of the community college district created by this section shall have no vote on any of the following matters pertaining to the other county:

(a) Tax levies;

(b) The expenditure of revenue from tax levies;

(c) Levy-subsidized tuition rates.

(2) As long as either of the conditions prescribed in division (F)(1) or (2) of this section are satisfied, each member of the board of trustees shall have full voting rights on all matters coming before the board.

(3) At all times, on any matter related to community college programming or facilities within one county or the other, both of the following are necessary:

(a) The affirmative vote of a majority of the full membership of the board of trustees;

(b) The affirmative vote of at least fifty per cent of the trustees from the affected county.

(4) If the millage rate of the Warren county tax levy described in division (F) of this section is subsequently reduced by a vote of the electors of Warren county to the extent that it no longer satisfies a condition prescribed in either division (F)(1) or (2) of this section, the voting restrictions prescribed in division (E)(1) of this section again apply to the board effective on the first day of the tax year that begins after the reduction is approved by the electors.

(F) The voting restrictions of division (E)(1) of this section apply until the electors of Warren county approve a tax levy, in accordance with division (G)(3) of this section, equivalent to the tax levy approved by the electors of Montgomery county for the support of the former community college district of Montgomery county prior to the effective date of this section. For this purpose, an equivalent tax levy is a tax levied in Warren county that either:

(1) In the first tax year for which the tax is collected, yields revenue per capita equal to or greater than the yield per capita of levies of the community college district in effect that tax year in Montgomery county, as jointly determined by the county auditors of Montgomery and Warren counties;

(2) In the first tax year for which the tax is collected, imposes a millage rate that is equal to or greater than the effective tax rate of levies of the community college district in effect that tax year in Montgomery county, as jointly determined by the county auditors of Montgomery and Warren counties. As used in division (F)(2) of this section, "effective tax rate" means the quotient obtained by dividing the total taxes charged and payable for the taxing subdistrict for a tax year, after the reduction prescribed by section 319.301 of the Revised Code but before the reduction prescribed by section 319.302 or 323.152 of the Revised Code, by the taxable value for the taxing subdistrict for that tax year.

(G)

(1) The board of trustees may propose to levy a tax on taxable property in Montgomery county to be voted on by the electors of Montgomery county as provided in division (G)(3) of this section. Any money raised by a tax levied by the former community college district of Montgomery county or a subsequent tax levied in Montgomery county in accordance with division (G)(3) of this section shall be used solely for the benefit of Montgomery county residents attending Sinclair community college in the form of student tuition subsidy, student scholarships, and instructional facilities, equipment and support services located within Montgomery county, shall be deposited into a separate fund from all other revenues of the district, and shall be budgeted separately.

(2) The board of trustees may propose to levy a tax on taxable property in Warren county to be voted on by electors of Warren county as provided in division (G)(3) of this section. Any money raised by the tax shall be used solely for the benefit of Warren county residents attending Sinclair community college in the form of student tuition subsidy, student scholarships, and instructional facilities, equipment and support services located within Warren county, shall be deposited into a separate fund from all other revenues of the district, and shall be budgeted separately. If the tax is approved in accordance with division (G)(3)(c) of this section, the board of trustees may adjust the rate of tuition charged to Warren county residents commensurate with the amount of that tax the board of trustees dedicates for instructional and general services provided to Warren county residents.

(3) For each taxing subdistrict of the community college district created by this section, the board of trustees may propose to levy a tax in accordance with the procedures prescribed in section 3354.12 of the Revised Code, except as provided in divisions (G)(3)(a) to (c) of this section.

(a) Wherein section 3354.12 of the Revised Code the terms "district" and "community college district" are used, those terms shall be construed to mean the appropriate taxing subdistrict described in division (B)(2) of this section, except that the "board of trustees of the community college district" means the board of trustees for the entire community college district as described in division (C) of this section. That board of trustees may propose separate levies for either of the two taxing subdistricts.

(b) "Tax duplicate," as used in section 3354.12 of the Revised Code, means the tax duplicate of only the appropriate taxing subdistrict and not the tax duplicate of the entire community college district.

(c) The resolution of the board of trustees proposing a tax levy in the Warren county taxing subdistrict is subject to approval of a two-thirds vote of the board of county commissioners of Warren county. If so approved by the board of county commissioners of Warren county, that board shall certify the resolution to the Warren county board of elections, which shall place on the ballot for the electors of Warren county the question of levying the tax proposed in the resolution on all taxable property of the county. If approved by the electors of the county, the tax shall be levied as provided in section 3354.12 of the Revised Code and anticipation notes may be issued by the board of trustees in accordance with that section.

(H)

(1) The board of trustees of the community college district created by this section may issue bonds in accordance with section 3354.11 of the Revised Code; however, the board may limit the question of approval of the issue of those bonds to the electors of only one of the two taxing subdistricts described in division (B)(2) of this section, in which case the board also may limit the use of the property or improvements to the residents of that subdistrict.

(2) A resolution of the board of trustees proposing the issuance of bonds for only the Warren county taxing subdistrict is subject to approval of a two-thirds vote of the board of county commissioners of Warren county. If so approved by the board of county commissioners of Warren county, that board shall certify the resolution to the Warren county board of elections which shall place on the ballot for the electors of Warren county the question of issuing bonds as proposed in the resolution.

Effective Date: 09-29-2005.