WARREN — City council members unanimously rejected what they call a state attempt to strip local control and siphon funds from municipalities as they passed a resolution Wednesday opposing Ohio House Bill 335, introduced by State Rep. David Thomas, R-Jefferson, who represents a portion of Trumbull County.

The proposed measure would eliminate unvoted inside millage and transfer local budgetary authority to unelected county budget commissions. Many of the measure’s provisions were line-item vetoed by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine in the state’s two-year budget, but a vote to override his vetoes is set July 21.

Council President John Brown reported efforts to arrange a meeting with state representatives Nick Santucci, R-Niles, and Michael Rulli, R-Salem, and state Senator Sandra O’Brien, R-Lenox, to discuss the bill’s impact.

Franklin said he attended the opening ceremony of the Trumbull County Fair, where he spoke to Santucci and Thomas, telling them they “need to have a conversation” about the bill.

The resolution, passed as an emergency measure, directs the clerk to send copies to Santucci, O’Brien, DeWine and local media. It calls for rejecting the bill’s provisions to eliminate inside millage and transfer budgetary control, urging collaborative tax reform instead.

Council members and Mayor Doug Franklin voiced strong objections, warning that the legislation would undermine local control and jeopardize essential services like police, fire protection and public education.

Councilman Todd Johnson, I-1st Ward, spoke against HB 335, describing it as part of a decades-long pattern of state actions siphoning funds from municipalities.

“This is a firm rebuke to our house representatives that we will not stand for this continued theft of public funds from our local municipalities,” Johnson said. “Our schools absolutely need these funds. Our local communities absolutely need these funds.”

Johnson talked about the bill’s potential to devastate Warren’s budget, saying that the city is already stretched thin.

“We are constantly being forced to do more with less as a municipality,” he said, pointing to cuts in Community Development Block Grants, school voucher programs and dispensary revenue allocations as prior blows to local funding. He added that opposition to the bill spans Ohio’s diverse communities, from “urban to affluent areas,” all recognizing its destructive impact.

The Liberty Board of Education showed its opposition last week, passing a resolution denouncing the measure for its potential to eliminate $1.4 million annually in inside millage revenue, equating to 8.5% of the district’s general fund or $1,100 per student, according to Superintendent Brian Knight.

Statewide, opposition includes The Ohio Association of School Business Officials, who warned of a $1.5 billion statewide revenue cut. Law enforcement groups, including the Ohio Fraternal Order of Police, Buckeye State Sheriff’s Association and Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police, argue the bill’s elimination of inside millage and 60% voter approval threshold for new levies could cripple public safety services.

“This hurts everyone,” Franklin said. “We need to band together to fight nonsense.”

Franklin also described the bill as an assault on municipalities.

“The state has been consistent with this assault on killing cities,” Franklin said, recalling past state actions like the elimination of residency laws and local government revenue funds.

Franklin criticized the bill’s proposal to empower unelected county budget commissions to oversee local budgets, arguing it undermines the will of elected officials.

“We were voted to make these decisions,” Franklin said. “Don’t punish people for being fiscally responsible and having a carryover.”

Franklin also warned that the bill’s elimination of inside millage could impair Warren’s ability to repay bond issues, potentially harming the city’s credit rating. He noted widespread opposition from law enforcement, educational organizations, and municipal groups like the Ohio Municipal League, urging bipartisan resistance.

“This hurts everyone,” Franklin said. “We need to band together to fight nonsense.”

Councilwoman Helen Rucker, D-at Large, framed the bill as an attack on Warren’s recovery from past financial struggles.

“If this authoritarian legislation was in place when this city was broke, we would not have a city,” Rucker said.

She emphasized the city’s efforts to restore police, fire and income tax services, contrasting local care with state indifference.

“This legislative body in Columbus, made up of millionaires who don’t even drive through Warren, don’t care about Warren,” she said, urging other local governments to adopt similar resolutions.

Other council members also voiced opposition.

Councilman Andrew Herman, D-2nd Ward, criticized the lack of a backup plan for public education, noting that public schools accept all students, unlike selective private or charter schools.

Councilman Greg Greathouse, D-3rd Ward, called the bill a “money grab” by the state, while Councilman James Shaffer, D-4th Ward, a retired teacher, accused the state of trying to make public schools fail through increasingly difficult tests.

Councilwoman Tiffany Stanford, D-5th Ward, and Councilman Honeya Price, D-6th Ward, expressed support for the resolution, with Price noting restraint in his remarks but aligning with colleagues. Councilman Ron White, D-7th Ward, decried state officials who “forget where they come from” and fail to prioritize local needs, while Councilman Michael O’Brien, D-at Large, called the bill “short-sighted” and “impractical,” arguing it penalizes efficient communities like Warren.

“We need to say to them in a strong manner, not our children. That’s a bridge too far,” Rucker said.