Twinsburg council opposes House Bill 335, warns of local budget shortfall

Twinsburg City Council on June 24 adopted Resolution 70-20-25, a statement opposing House Bill 335 and urging the Ohio General Assembly to reject the legislation.

Council voted 6–1 to suspend the three‑reading rule and to adopt the resolution as an emergency. Council members said the central local concern is House Bill 335’s proposed removal of inside millage authority, which they said funds pension obligations and other costs.

During council discussion, members described financial consequences for Twinsburg if inside millage were eliminated. The transcript contains a description of local impacts: one speaker said the city currently uses about $580,000 from inside millage for police pension obligations and cited an expected increase in the municipal fire pension match from 19% to 24%, which the speaker estimated would add roughly $400,000–$500,000 — together creating “essentially a million dollar hole” in the city’s budget. The speaker framed the vote as a protective measure in light of those uncertainties.

Speakers also noted that several statewide groups — including the Ohio Municipal League and county law‑enforcement organizations — have taken positions on the bill; council discussion reflected concern about unknowns in the legislation and its potential to shift local budget authority to county budget commissions. The resolution passed with six members in favor and one opposed; the transcript does not identify additional legislative language changes beyond the inside‑millage concern.