Effective: September 29, 2017
Latest Legislation: House Bill 49 - 132nd General Assembly
(A) To enhance the background and working knowledge of county treasurers in governmental accounting, portfolio reporting and compliance, investments, cybersecurity, and cash management, the auditor of state and the treasurer of state shall conduct education programs for persons elected for the first time to the office of county treasurer and shall hold biennial continuing education courses for persons who continue to hold the office of county treasurer.
Initial education programs for newly elected county treasurers shall be held between the first day of December and the first Monday of September next following that person's election to the office of county treasurer. Similar initial education programs may also be provided to any county treasurer who is appointed to fill a vacancy or who is elected at a special election.
(B)(1) The auditor of state shall determine the manner and content of the initial education programs in the subject areas of governmental accounting and portfolio reporting and compliance. In those areas, newly elected county treasurers shall take at least thirteen hours of education before taking office.
(2) The treasurer of state shall determine the manner and content of the initial education programs in the subject areas of investments and cash management. In those areas, newly elected county treasurers shall take at least thirteen hours of education before taking office.
(3)(a) After completing one year in office, a county treasurer shall take not less than twenty-four hours of continuing education during each biennial cycle. For purposes of division (B)(3)(a) of this section, a biennial cycle for continuing education shall be every two calendar years after the treasurer's first year in office. The treasurer of state shall determine the manner and content of the continuing education courses in the subject areas of investments, cash management, the collection of taxes, ethics, and any other subject area that the treasurer of state determines is reasonably related to the duties of the office of the county treasurer. The auditor of state shall determine the manner and content of the continuing education courses in the subject areas of governmental accounting, portfolio reporting and compliance, office management, cybersecurity, and any other subject area that the auditor of state determines is reasonably related to the duties of the office of the county treasurer.
(b) A county treasurer who accumulates more than twenty-four hours of continuing education in a biennial cycle described in division (B)(3)(a) of this section may credit the hours in excess of twenty-four hours to the next biennial cycle. However, regardless of the total number of hours earned, no more than six hours in continuing education determined by the treasurer of state pursuant to division (B)(3)(a) of this section and six hours in continuing education determined by the auditor of state pursuant to that division shall be carried over to the next biennial cycle.
(c) A county treasurer who participates in a training program or seminar established under section 109.43 of the Revised Code may apply the three hours of training to the twenty-four hours of continuing education required in a biennial cycle under division (B)(3)(a) of this section.
(C) The auditor of state and the treasurer of state may each charge counties a registration fee that will meet actual and necessary expenses of the training of county treasurers, including instructor fees, site acquisition costs, and the cost of course materials. The necessary personal expenses of county treasurers as a result of attending the initial education programs and continuing education courses shall be borne by the counties the treasurers represent.
(D) The auditor of state and the treasurer of state may allow any other interested person to attend any of the initial education programs or continuing education courses held pursuant to this section, provided that before attending any such program or course, the interested person shall pay to either the auditor of state or the treasurer of state, as appropriate, the full registration fee set for the program or course.
(E)(1) If a county treasurer fails to complete the initial education programs required by this section before taking office, the treasurer's authority to invest county funds and to manage the county portfolio immediately is suspended, and this authority is transferred to the county's investment advisory committee until full compliance with the initial education programs is determined by the treasurer of state.
(2) If a county treasurer fails to complete continuing education as required by this section, the county treasurer is subject to divisions (B) to (E) of section 321.47 of the Revised Code, including possible suspension of the treasurer's authority to invest county funds and to manage the county portfolio and transfer of this authority to the county's investment advisory committee.
(F)(1) Notwithstanding divisions (B) and (E) of this section, a county treasurer who fails to complete the initial education programs or continuing education required by this section shall invest only in the Ohio subdivisions fund pursuant to division (A)(6) of section 135.35 of the Revised Code, in no load money market mutual funds pursuant to division (A)(5) of section 135.35 of the Revised Code, or in time certificates of deposit or savings or deposit accounts pursuant to division (A)(3) of section 135.35 of the Revised Code.
(2) A county treasurer who has failed to complete the initial education programs required by this section and invests in other than the investments permitted by division (F)(1) of this section immediately shall have the county treasurer's authority to invest county funds and to manage the county portfolio suspended, and this authority shall be transferred to the county's investment advisory committee until full compliance with the initial education programs is determined by the treasurer of state.
(3) If a county treasurer fails to complete continuing education required by this section and invests in other than the investments permitted by division (F)(1) of this section, the county treasurer is subject to divisions (B) to (E) of section 321.47 of the Revised Code, including possible suspension of the treasurer's authority to invest county funds and to manage the county portfolio and transfer of this authority to the county's investment advisory committee.
(G)(1) There is hereby created in the state treasury the county treasurer education fund, to be used by the treasurer of state for actual and necessary expenses of initial education programs and continuing education held pursuant to this section and section 135.22 of the Revised Code. All registration fees collected by the treasurer of state under this section and section 135.22 of the Revised Code shall be paid into that fund.
(2) All registration fees collected by the auditor of state under this section shall be paid into the auditor of state training program fund established under section 117.44 of the Revised Code.
(H) The treasurer of state, with the advice and consent of the auditor of state, may adopt reasonable rules not inconsistent with this section for the implementation of this section.