03/06/2024

House Bill 430

Lead Sponsors: Representative Roy Klopfenstein and Representative Elgin Rogers, Jr.

Status: Favorably Reported by House State and Local Government 12-0 (May 8, 2024)

Description: The bill allows a board of commissioners to contract with another county’s county engineer if the county is unable to fill a vacancy through the normal means or the office of engineer is vacant due to no candidates running in the election. In such situations, the county engineer who the board contracts with will be compensated at the rate which the county engineer would normally be compensated at, subject to proration for the duration of the contract.

The bill also changes the pay table for county engineers by eliminating the distinction between pay for engineers with a private practice and without. County engineers may engage in private practice with no reduction to their compensation, with the caveat that they may not engage in any engineering or surveying work in a county where they are the county engineer or acting engineer.

CCAO Position: Interested Party

Notes: Erie County Commissioner Matt Old provided interested party testimony. The County Engineers Association of Ohio provided proponent testimony.