The board of county commissioners of any county which has no county children's home may aid an incorporated children's home or other unincorporated society, whose object is the care, aid, and education of neglected or destitute children, by contributing toward the purchase of land for such home or society, the erection of buildings by it, or of additions to existing buildings, or other improvements, to an amount not to exceed twenty-five hundred dollars in any one year.

The board of any such county may submit to the people of such county, under section 133.18 of the Revised Code, the question of whether bonds of such county shall be issued for the purposes of this section. If the people of such county approve the issue of bonds, the board may issue the bonds under Chapter 133. of the Revised Code, as if they were being issued for the construction of a county children's home owned by the county, and may use the proceeds of such bond issue for the purposes of and without the restriction as to amount imposed by this section.

The board may contribute an amount not to exceed five hundred dollars in any one year for the purpose of keeping such property in repair. If such children's home ceases to exist, so that the property so purchased ceases to be used for the purpose of a children's home by the corporation, such county shall have a lien upon the property for the amount of money contributed for its purchase, and if such corporation fails to maintain, manage, and control such home so as to subserve the purpose of a children's home for which it was incorporated, the board may enforce such lien or, if it prefers may, upon approval of the department of job and family services, first being obtained, organize such home into a county children's home. The title to such property, where the county has contributed the whole amount of the purchase money, shall vest in and be the property of such county.

Effective Date: 07-01-2000.