OPD sets initial SFY 2027 reimbursement rate at 80%
Last week, the Office of the Public Defender (OPD) issued a memo to stakeholders in the indigent defense system with two updates.
Of prime interest to counties is an update concerning the reimbursement rate for indigent defense costs. Based on the $202 million that was appropriated for county reimbursement, OPD is setting the initial reimbursement rate for SFY 2027 (July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027) at 80%.
The reimbursement rate is subject to change based on the actual costs submitted for reimbursement. The initial 80% rate would support a monthly cost of $20 million. If the actual costs submitted for reimbursement is less than $20 million, the reimbursement rate would increase, and vice versa.
The other update concerns OPD's Standards and Guidelines for Appointed Council Reimbursement document. OPD has updated the document to account for the new Court Appointed Billing System, as well as to reflect changes in reimbursable travel expenses and the cost of transcriptions.
Reminder from CORSA: Stay vigilant during Fraud Prevention Month
April is Fraud Prevention Month. This is a good time to remind everyone of check washing and payment redirection schemes and that we must remain vigilant now and during the summer vacation and holiday season to reduce the risk of being a fraud victim.
Check washing is an old but effective way to steal public funds. Thieves get possession of a paper check, typically through the mail, then use chemicals to “wash” the payee name off the check and make themselves the payee. Then, cash or deposit the check to steal the County’s money. The American Banker’s Association Foundation has recommended measures to combat check washing.
Similarly, payment fraud by phishing and/or business email compromise (BEC) is on the rise. This is where the objective of “re-directing” money to a bad actor, a cybercriminal pretending to be a vendor or employee of the government and then re-directing funds into fraudulent accounts. In these BEC/”re-direct” schemes the cybercriminal impersonates a trusted vendor, business partner or employee in an email and requests a change to the bank account, investment account, or a transfer of funds to a specified bank account unaffiliated with the legitimate business.
Always, independently verify payment redirection requests.
The Ohio Auditor of State's Bulletin 2024-003 includes a host of preventative measures, and the Auditor has produced a payment security checklist that it encourages public offices to follow.
CORSA, like the Auditor of State, strongly encourages members consider enrollment in the anti-fraud services Positive Pay and ACH Positive Pay.
Registration for the 2026 County Classic Golf Outing is open!
This year's event will be held at Glenross Golf Club in Delaware on July 10.
All proceeds from the event benefit the Research and Educational Foundation, funding scholarships for students pursuing careers in public service. Your participation directly supports the next generation of dedicated professionals committed to serving our communities.
Registration and lunch will begin at 12:00 PM, followed by a 1:30 PM shotgun start. This premier outing offers a great opportunity to enjoy an outstanding course while connecting with colleagues and partners.
Register today to reserve your spot: https://birdease.com/CountyClassic Top Top
Auditor of State issues advisory memo on ADA Title II web-based accessibility requirements
The Auditor of State released an advisory memo regarding the high points of a new accessibility requirement for government websites.
Under an update to the U.S. Department of Justice's regulations for the Americans with Disabilities Act, each state’s and political subdivision’s web content and mobile apps must be readily accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities. This includes web content or mobile apps provided through contractual, licensing, or other arrangements, such as a third-party application used by a state or political subdivision for the payment of tickets or fees. The remainder of Section 35.200 sets forth the specific standards that entities are required to meet to make their web content and mobile apps accessible and the timelines for compliance.
Public entities must ensure their web content and mobile apps meet the accessibility requirements on a timeline based on their population. For county purposes, those with a population of greater than 50,000, content must be in compliance by April 24, 2026. For counties with a smaller population, content must be in compliance by April 26, 2027.
NACo has been engaging with the federal executive branch to delay the compliance deadlines due to concerns regarding the cost of bringing all county websites and digital presences in line with the new digital accessibility requirements.
NACo has produced an overview of the compliance requirements, available here.
Constitution amendment to ban data centers cleared to gather signatures
After receiving clearance from Attorney General Dave Yost and the Ohio Ballot Board, a citizen-initiated constitutional amendment to prohibit the construction of data centers in Ohio can now gather signatures.
The amendment would create Article II, Section 36a to the Ohio Constitution. The section would prohibit the construction of data centers, defined as one or more buildings or physical facilities located on a single parcel or contiguous, adjacent, or otherwise aggregated parcels.
To be classified as a data center, the building(s) must satisfy two conditions:
- Be used primarily or exclusively for digital information services through the use of computer systems, server, networking equipment, and related components such as cooling systems; and
- Has an aggregate monthly demand or peak load of greater than 25 megawatts, regardless of energy source(s).
The organizers of the campaign have indicated they hope to place it on the November 2026 ballot. To do so, they will need to gather 413,487 valid signatures statewide and a certain threshold (5% of the votes cast in the last gubernatorial election) in 44 out of the 88 counties.
TOMORROW: OHFA to hold virtual meeting for input on 2027 strategic priorities
The Ohio Housing Finance Agency is holding a virtual meeting with stakeholders as the agency develops its SFY 2027 Annual Plan.
The meeting, to be tomorrow at 1:30, will review the priorities outlined in the current SFY 2026 Annual Plan and then solicit input on what strategic priorities should be included in the SFY 2027 Annual Plan. You can save a calendar hold, with the virtual meeting information, here.
The agency asks that participants review the 2026 Annual Plan before the meeting.
If you have any questions about the virtual meeting, please contact OHFAPublicHearing@ohiohome.org.
NACo presidential appointment applications open until May 8
The submission window for consideration for a NACo presidential appointment is open and will remain so until May 8.
The appointments include chairs and vice chairs of NACo's policy steering committees and subcommittees, leadership and membership slots for the Large Urban County Caucus, the Midsize County Caucus, and the Rural Action Caucus, as well as other standing committees, advisory committees, and others.
You can submit applications for consideration through the NACo Member Portal.
Attorney General finds juvenile probation officer, school board member to be compatible offices
In Attorney General Opinion 2026-02, issued last week, Attorney General Dave Yost found that, generally, the office of juvenile probation officer and elected school board member for a school district in the same county are compatible offices, meaning that an individual can hold both at the same time.
Compatibility findings from the Attorney General are not firm legal rulings, as there can be circumstances on a case-by-case basis where an individual would not practically or ethically be able to hold both offices. Top State funding opportunities
The table below contains current state grant or loan programs. A full list can be found on the Ohio Grants Partnership webpage.
Grant Program
|
Brief Summary
|
Eligibility Criteria
|
Amount Available
|
Application Due Date
|
| County Coastal Erosion Control Loan Program |
To provide financing for construction of erosion control structures in coastal erosion areas. |
Counties with Lake Erie shoreline containing coastal erosion areas:
Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Erie, Lake, Lorain, Lucas, Ottawa, Sandusky
|
Unspecified total, no maximum per request |
May 22, 2026 |
| Dam Safety Loan Program |
To provide financing for planning, design, and construction of dams and repairs. |
Counties, county sewer districts, and soil and water conservation districts, among others |
Maximum loan: $7.5 million |
May 22, 2026 |
| H2Ohio Conservation Ditch Program |
To fund construction of two-stage and self-forming ditches. |
Soil and water conservation districts and county engineers |
Unspecified, funding model is reimbursement |
June 1, 2026 |
| Ohio Sexual Assault Investigations Grant Program |
To reimburse for the cost of testing sexual assault kits, including capacity building for agencies that complete sexual assault investigations |
Law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, and crime labs |
Unspecified, funding model is reimbursement |
June 10, 2026 |
| Extradition Reimbursement Program |
To reimburse LEAs for the cost of in-state and out-of-state extraditions. |
Law enforcement agencies and prosecutor's offices |
Unspecified total, no maximum per request; No match |
June 10, 2026 |
Top Each week Counties Current highlights the happenings in our counties in the words of their local media.
One story from each of the CCAO's five districts is highlighted, and on occasion other stories may be highlighted as well.
Northwest District
Lucas County launches program to speed up development sites
WTOL, April 1, 2026
Lucas County Board of Commissioners launched a new program aimed at preparing development sites and making it easier for businesses to invest in the area.
The program, called LCReady, will be administered by the Lucas County Economic Development Corporation and is designed to identify and prepare properties for industrial and manufacturing development before companies commit to building.
Officials say the effort is intended to streamline the development process and help Lucas County compete for new investment.
“We’ve been talking to the business community from the residential side to the home builders that say sometimes stuff gets bogged down in the process of getting permits,” Commissioner Pete Gerken said. “You can’t build anything without permitting. We know you have to be cleared before you invest.”
Gerken said delays in permitting and other approvals can discourage potential projects.
“What we found out is the longer it takes to get things done, people get less interested in doing them,” he said.
LCReady will move sites through a three-phase process to determine development readiness. The phases include LCNavigate, which reviews site conditions and infrastructure; LCEvaluate, which confirms development readiness through technical review; and LCCertified, which designates properties ready to be marketed to investors.
Northeast District
Medina County commissioners take aim at county auditor over budget requests, disputed contracts
Cleveland.com, April 1, 2026
Tensions between the Medina County Board of Commissioners and County Auditor Anthony Capretta escalated Tuesday, with commissioners sharply criticizing the auditor’s spending and accusing the county’s budget commission of violating Ohio public meetings laws.
During the commissioners’ meeting, Commissioner Aaron Harrison said spending by the auditor’s office has increased dramatically in recent years.
“When comparing his 2025 expenditures from the general fund and real estate appraisal funds to 2022 expenditures — the final year of his predecessor — expenses have increased a staggering 80%,” Harrison said.
Spending rose from about $1.88 million in 2022 to roughly $3.49 million in 2025 — an increase of more than $1.5 million, according to figures cited by the commissioners.
Harrison then alluded to Capretta being one of three members of the county budget commission that had attempted earlier this year to strip millions of dollars in property tax collections from four Medina County school districts.
That effort failed after the commission missed a March 1 state deadline and was required to approve the districts’ budgets without the proposed cuts the day before Tuesday’s commissioners meeting.
“This explosion of expenses needs to be reined in by the auditor himself before he admonishes other taxing authorities for their spending,” Harrison said.
Commissioners also questioned specific expenditures, including a communications consultant who has been paid $2,000 per month since June 2024.
Central District
Mears: Failed pumps & alarms led to sanitary sewer issues along Ohio 97
Richland Source, March 30, 2026
Two failed pumps — and two failed alarms — created a nasty wastewater situation along Ohio 97 on Monday, according to Richland County Commissioner Cliff Mears.
During a Board of Commissioners meeting on Tuesday, Mears said he was contacted late Monday morning by Amanda Miller, the county’s wastewater treatment director.
Mears said two pumps — and two alarms — had apparently failed inside a 28-foot deep “wet well” over the weekend. The alarms are designed to notify county wastewater officials when the pump(s) stop working.
A wastewater “wet well” is an underground chamber or sump pit in a pumping station that collects and temporarily stores sewage.
It uses sensors to activate submerged pumps, transporting the wastewater to treatment plants or higher elevations. These enclosed, often concrete structures, act as buffers to prevent system overflows.
He said Miller went to the site after being notified of problems inside the well that’s six feet in diameter.
“We had a wet well that was filling with sewage because the pumps were out of commission,” Mears said.
“At that point, she realized we had to curtail as much as possible the (wastewater flow) from the businesses and the residences in that area. She contacted the businesses in that (Ohio 97/I-71 corridor) in an effort to minimize the flow into there so we could empty that out,” Mears said.
Ultimately, that meant “somebody had to get down there and clean out the debris,” he said.
Mears said the single biggest problems with the sanitary sewer systems come when people flush so-called “disposable wipes” down the toilet.
“I have heard this repeatedly from Amanda. They’re supposed to be disposable, but they really aren’t. They don’t break down. They clog up our pipes. They clog up our equipment,” Mears said.
Southwest District
Clark County to consider TIF for Moorefield Twp. housing development
Springfield News-Sun, April 1, 2026
A development company wants to build 159 homes on roughly 46 acres in Moorefield Twp. in Clark County.
DARP LLC. wants to build a $55 million subdivision to be called Liberty Place that will have homes with an average value of $350,000, according to Clark County Commission.
Ron Sweeney and Pat Williams of DARP are asking county commissioners to approve a non-school Tax Increment Financing district in the subdivision to help pay for development costs.
Sweeney said the subdivision would be built n three phases, with 50 units in the first, 50 in the second and 59 in the third, and could take four to six years.
“We want to be very open and transparent about everything that we're going to get from these bonds. It’s going to go back into the ground. It's going to help the infrastructure … We just need some help,” he said. “It will unlock value for the county, the township, and the community.”
Commissioners explained a TIF is an economic development tool that allows local governments to support new developments by using a portion of the future increase in property tax value generated by the project to pay for public infrastructure improvements. These may include roads, utilities, drainage and other necessary site infrastructure.
The proposed TIF will exempt 100% of new property value created from traditional property taxes for up to 30 years, according to commissioners. Property owners within the development would still make payments in lieu of taxes in an amount equal to what their property taxes would have been.
Southeast District
Commission approves budget, but not without addressing changes
WTOV, March 30, 2026
The Jefferson County Commission approved the budget for the upcoming fiscal year Monday totaling approximately $25 million.
The approval came later than in recent years due to some changes that needed to be addressed.
"Concerns from the very beginning for a lot of reasons - insurance went up significantly for lots of people for lots of companies everywhere,” Commissioner Tony Morelli said. “In the county’s case, it's $5,000 an employee more, so that hurts. We didn't know that was coming."
Morelli said some of the changes they could see is a closer watch on how much money every department uses per fiscal year.
"We the commissioners have to do a better job of pushing back a little bit,” Morelli said. “We have a lot of departments that request this amount of money whatever it is and it's obvious by looking back at the track record they're not going to spend it."
While commissioners said the budget process worked out for this year, they say the margin for error was too close for them and the work for next year’s will require attention with some major decisions needing to be made.
"We're at the point now that, if we don't do something, we're going to be forced to do something,” Morelli said. “I wasn't here, but I understand at one time, I don't know when, but there we're deputies picketing out front of the courthouse. I don't want to go back there. I don't want to go to any department and say, ‘Hey, you have too many employees, we need you to cut somebody.’ But we have to do something." Top APRIL 10
CEBCO Annual Meeting
APRIL 17
CCAO Board of Directors Meeting (virtual)
MAY 25
Memorial Day - Holiday Top
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