After a port authority has been created, any municipal corporation, township, county, or other political subdivision, acting by ordinance or resolution, which is contiguous to any municipal corporation, township, county, or other political subdivision which participated in the creation of such port authority or to any municipal corporation, township, county, or other political subdivision which proposes to join the port authority at the same time and is contiguous to any municipal corporation, township, county, or other political subdivision which participated in the creation of such port authority, may join such port authority, and thereupon the jurisdiction and territory of the port authority includes the municipal corporation, county, township, or other political subdivision so joining. If more than one such political subdivision is to be joined to the port authority at the same time, then each such ordinance or resolution shall designate the political subdivisions which are to be so joined. Any territory or municipal corporation not included in a port authority and which is annexed to a municipal corporation included within the jurisdiction and territory of a port authority shall, on such annexation and without further proceedings, be annexed to and be included in the jurisdiction and territory of the port authority. Before such political subdivision or subdivisions are joined to a port authority, other than by annexation to a municipal corporation, the political subdivision or subdivisions theretofore comprising such port authority shall agree upon the terms and conditions pursuant to which such political subdivision or subdivisions are to be joined. For all purposes of sections 4582.21 to 4582.59 of the Revised Code, such political subdivision or subdivisions shall be considered to have participated in the creation of such port authority, except that the initial term of any director of the port authority appointed by such a political subdivision shall be four years. After each ordinance or resolution proposing joinder to the port authority has become effective and the terms and conditions of joinder have been agreed to, the board of directors of the port authority shall by resolution either accept or reject such joinder. Such joinder shall be effective upon adoption of the resolution accepting such joinder, unless the port authority to which a political subdivision or subdivisions, including a county within which such port authority is located, are to be joined, has authority under section 4582.40 of the Revised Code to levy a tax on property within its jurisdiction, then such joinder shall not be effective until approved by the affirmative vote of a majority of the electors voting on the question of the joinder. If more than one political subdivision is to be joined to the port authority, then the electors of such subdivisions shall vote as a district and the majority affirmative vote shall be determined by the vote cast in such district as a whole. The election shall be called by the board of directors of the port authority and shall be held, canvassed, and certified in the manner provided for the submission of tax levies under section 5705.191 of the Revised Code except that the question appearing on the ballot shall read:

"Shall ..................................................................................................................... (Name or names of political subdivisions to be joined) be joined to .............................................................................................. port authority (Name) and the existing tax levy (levies) of such port authority (aggregating) .........mill per dollar of valuation be authorized to be levied against properties within ....................................................................................................................................."? (Name or names of political subdivisions to be joined)

If the question is approved the joinder becomes immediately effective and the port authority is authorized to extend the levy of such tax against all the taxable property within the political subdivision or political subdivisions which have been joined. If such question is approved at a general election, then the port authority may amend its budget and resolution adopted pursuant to section 5705.34 of the Revised Code and such levy shall be placed on the current tax list and duplicate and collected as other taxes are collected from all taxable property within the port authority including the political subdivision or political subdivisions joined as a result of the election.

Effective Date: 05-17-2000.