Ah, to have friends in high places

It appears that the Miami Township* Trustees seriously erred in approving TIF (tax increment financing agreements) at the end of the year in 2005. They approved the agreements near the very end of December with an effective date 30 days later. You have to know that the state legislation cut some serious meat out of this this development welfare subsidy effective 1/1/2006. But never fear, you get your buddy Joe Uecker (former Miami Township Trustee) to co-sponsor legislation (HB 119) to change the ORC to allow the effective date of December 2005 to still stand.

Is it constitutional to change the Code** to allow defective legislation to be approved nearly two years after the fact - due to the negligence of the township trustees?

If the mental giants at the township aren't capable of effectively planning their TIF agreement adoption process, how are we to know that approving them is in the best interest of the public? Indeed, they are cash cows to the township, but what is good for the township is not necessarily good for the taxpayer, citizen, library, senior citizen, police, fire and other levies. Regardless of what the mis-trustees tell us.

Here is the portion of House Bill 119 that pertains to Miami Township. SECTION 757.08. Resolutions adopted by a board of township trustees of a limited home rule township pursuant to Chapter 504. and section 5709.73 of the Revised Code in December 2005 are hereby deemed to have had an immediate effective date if the board unanimously adopts a resolution so declaring. This section applies to applications for exemption under section 5709.73 of the Revised Code pending before the Tax Commissioner on the effective date of this section and to such applications filed or refiled within 90 days after that effective date.

*My guess is this applies to other townships in Clermont County as well.
**ORC 5709.73 talks about when TIF legislation is effective.