City Manager of Hamilton [Ffl
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0!?/G//V/41 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF OHIO CASE NO. 2 .=» 1;? __1_rE~;Q_;) (G STATE EX REL BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF ST. CLAIR TOWNSHIP, BUTLER COUNTY, OHIO and TOM BARNES TRUSTEE and GARY R. COUCH TRUSTEE and JUDY VALERIO TRUSTEE Relators, v. CITY OF HAMILTON, OHIO and JOSHUA SMITH A ; CITY MANAGER OF HAMILTON [Ffl and AFC“? EU £Tf.J1-I CLERK or coum THOMAS VANDERHORST SUPREME coumoromo FINANCE DIRECTOR OF HAMILTON Respondents, Original Action in Mandamus MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF THE COMPLAINT FOR WRIT OF MANDAMUS COUNSEL FOR RELA TORS COUNSEL FOR RESPONDENTS Gary L. Sheets (0019384) Heather Sanderson Lewis (0069212) Attorney At Law Director of Law 1731 Cleveland Avenue City of Hamilton, Ohio Hamilton, Ohio 45013 345 High Street lsheets fuse.net Hamilton, Ohio 4501 1 Office: 513-520-5517 Office: 513-785-7180 lewis mfitton.com Catherine A. Cunningham (0015730) Richard C. Brahm (0009481) Kegler, Brown, Hill & Ritter 65 East State Street, Suite 1800 Columbus, Ohio 43215 (614)462-5486 Fax: (614)228-1472 [email protected] rbrahmagkeglerbrown.com IN THE SUPREME COURT OF OHIO STATE EX REL BOARD OF TRUSTEES ) OF ST. CLAIR TOWNSHIP, BUTLER COUNTY, et al. Relators, Case No. avvv MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF THE COMPLAINT FOR WRIT OF MANDAMUS CITY OF HAMILTON, OHIO et al. wvwwwvvw S.Ct.Prac.R. l2.02(b)(l) Respondents MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF THE COMPLAINT FOR WRIT OF MANDAMUS TABLE OF CONTENTS LEGAL QUESTION PRESENTED ....................................................................... ..1 FACTS UNDERLYING THE COMPLAINT ........................................................ ..1 LEGAL ARGUMENT IN SUPPORT OF RELATOR'S COMPLAINT Preposition of Law #1 Mandamus is the appropriate remedy for a township to compel a municipal corporation to make R.C. 709.19 lost tax revenue compensation payments to the township where that municipal corporation has secured a R.C. 503.07 boundary adjustment that removes territory from the township and relocates it into a paper township lying within the boundaries of the petitioning municipal corporation but refuses to the township pay the compensation provided by RC. 709.19. .. Preposition of Law #2 When a municipal corporation’s R.C. 503.07 boundary adjustment petition is granted by county commissioners, R.C. 709.19(B) imposes a clear legal duty upon that municipal corporation to make and grants the township whose boundary has been adjusted and relocated a clear legal right to receive lost tax revenue compensation payments in an amount to be determined by either an agreement between the township and the municipal corporation or, absent such an agreement, the amount provided in R.C. 709. 1 9(C) and (D). ................... ..10 Preposition of Law #3 Where a municipal corporation is required by R.C. 709.l9(B) to make lost tax revenue compensation payments to a township in an amount defined by R.C. 709.19(C) and (D), because R.C. 709.19(B) does not provide who is to compute the payment to be made, but does impose the duty to make such payment upon the municipal corporation, the municipal corporation has an attendant clear legal duty once each year to accurately and completely calculate, or cause to be calculated, the correct compensation due the township according to R.C. 709.19 (C) and (D). .................................. .. _i. Preposition of Law #4 Where a municipal corporation is required by R.C. 709.l9(B) to make lost tax revenue compensation payments to a township in an amount defined by R.C. 709. l9(C) and (D), because R.C. 709.l9(B) does not provide how frequently the required payments are to be made, the municipal corporation is to be afforded a reasonable time to compute and then actually make the required payments. A reasonable time for computing and actually making the required payment due the township is 30 days afier the municipal corporation receives from the county treasurer the tax distributions it has received as a result of its boundary adjustment petition's granting. Where there are multiple distributions to the municipal corporation in a single year, there would likewise be multiple distributions by the municipal corporation to the township 30 days thereafter. Preposition of Law #5 The uncodified language in Section 3 of 2001 Am Sub S.B. No. 5 does not relieve a municipal corporation of its duty to pay a township R.C. 709.l9(B) lost tax revenue compensation when the municipal corporation secures a R.C. 503.07 boundary adjustment because the property being removed from the township by that adjustment was armexed into the municipal corporation before Am 2001 Sub S.B. No. 5 took effect. ........... .. CONCLUSION . PRAECIPE FOR SERVICE ...................................................................................... ..24 CASES AND AUTHORITIES Cases: Ac/tison v. Anchor Packing 120 C0,, Ohio St.3d 228, 2008-Ohio-5243, 897 N.E.2d 11 18 1115 ................................ ..5 Jewel! v. Valley Ca, 34 Ohio St, - N.E.- Ry. 601, 608, (1878). ........................ ..15-16 Kallas v. Ohio Water Serv. Ca., 132 Ohio App.3d 421 725 N.E.2d 324 , (1999) ......................................... ..21 Kilbreath V. Rudy. 16 Ohio St,2d 242 70. N.E.2d 658 (1968), paragraph one ofthe syllabus. .................................. ..5 Maynard V. Eaton Corp., 119 Ohio St.3d 443, 2008-Ohio-4542, 895 N.E.2d 145, 11 7.. ...................... ..21 Roberts v. Treasurer, 147 Ohio App.3d 403, 41 1, 770 N.E.2d 1085 (2001) ............................................................ ..21 State V. Taniguchi, 74 Ohio St.3d 154, 156, 656 N.E.2d 1286 (1995) ...................................................................... ..23 Stale v. Thomas, 148 Ohio St.3d 248, 2016-Ohio-5567, -N.E. 3d-, 11 11, ................................................................. ..22 State v. Waddell 71 Ohio (1995), St.3d 630, 631, 646 N.E.2d 821 (1995).. ............................. ..25 Slate ex relA1ty. Gen. v. Morris, 63 Ohio St. 59 NE. 496, 226, 230 (1900) ..................................................... .. 15-16 State ex rel. Baker v. Indus. 143 Comm., Ohio St.3d 56, 2015-Ohio-1191, 34 N.E.3d 104. ...................................... ..8 State ex rel. Foster v. Evati, 144 Ohio St. 65, 56 NE2d 265 (1944), paragraph eight oflhe syllabus .................... ..25 State, ex rel. Harris, v. Rhodes, 54 Ohio St,2d 41, 374 N.E.2d 641 (1978) .............................................................. ..8 State ex rel. McClaran V. City ofOn/aria, 119 Ohio St.3d 105, 2008-Ohio-3867, 892 N.E.2d 440 11 15. ............... ..10 State ex rel. Fressley V. Indus. Comm., 11 Ohio St.2d 141, 228 N.E.2d 631 paragraph six ofthe (1967), syllabus .1 1 State ex rel. Slaughter V. Indus. Comm., 132 Ohio St. 537, 9 N.E.2d 505, paragraph three ofthe syllabus. ............. ..7 State ex rel. Ullmann v. 103 Hm/es, Ohio St.3d 405, 2004-Ohio-5469, 816 NE2d 245 118. .................................. ..10 Turner v. Dept. ofRehab. & Corr., 144 Ohio St.3d 377, 2015—Ohio- 2833, 43 N.E.3d 435 (2015) ........................... .,8 Thornton V. Salalr, I 12 Ohio St.3d 254, 2006-Ohio-6407, 858 N.E.2d 1187 ........................................................... ..23. Toledo City School Dist. Bd. ofEdn. v. State Bd. ofEdn,, 146 Ohio St..3d 356, 2016-Ohio-2806, 56 N.E.3d 950 22 Wilson v. AC&S, Inc., 169 Ohio App.3d 720, 2006-Ohio-6704, 864 N.E.2d 682 11 77 .......................................... ..21 Ohio Attorney General Opinions: -iii- 2005 Ohio Atty. Gen. Op. No. 2005-024 ............................................... ..12 Authorities: Ohio Constitution: Ohio Constitution Section 28, Article II ............................................. ..7, 22 Ohio Statutes R.C. 503.07 ........................................................................................ .. 1-23 R.C. 503.09 .....13 R.C. 709.023 20-21 R.C. 709.024 20-21 R.C. 709.19 - .......................................................................... .. ~ 0, 15-26 Ohio Uncodified Law Am Sub 2001 S.B. No. 5 Section 3 ....................... .. _;V_ LEGAL QUESTION PRESENTED The legal question presented in this original action in mandamus is whether R.C. 709.19(B) imposes a clear legal duty upon the Respondent City of Hamilton (hereafter “Hamilton”) and grants Relator St. Clair Township a clear legal right to be paid “lost tax revenue compensation” in an amount determined by R.C. 709.1 9((‘) and (D) upon the Board of Butler County Commissioners’ adoption of a R.C. 503.07 boundary adjustment resolution which adjusted the boundary between Hamilton and St. Clair Township by removing territory from St. Clair Township and relocating that territory into a “paper township” named “Hamilton Township.” FACTS UNDERLYING THE COMPLAINT The facts giving rise to this action are simple, undisputed, and well-documented. On September 14, 2016, Hamilton City Council received a Staff Report (Exhibit A to the Complaint) from Respondent Hamilton Finance Director Tom Vanderhorst setting forth the reasons why City Council should immediately adopt an Ordinance authorizing Respondent City Manager Joshua Smith to file an R.C. 503.07 boundary adjustment petition with the Board of Butler County Commissioners (hereafter “Commissioners”). The Staff Report’s “Background Infomtation” section explained why a boundary adjustment was immediately necessary. It stated: “Over time, the City has annexed property from four surrounding townships. No documentation has been located indicating that the City has ever filed a subsequent petition with the county commissioners to remove annexed territory from a township after annexations