122.121 Site selection for major sporting event.
122.121 Site selection for major sporting event.
(A) If an endorsing municipality or endorsing county enters into a joinder undertaking with a site selection organization, the endorsing municipality or endorsing county may apply to the director of development, on a form and in the manner prescribed by the director, for a grant based on the projected incremental increase in the receipts from the tax imposed under section 5739.02 of the Revised Code within the market area designated under division (C) of this section, for the two-week period that ends at the end of the day after the date on which a game will be held, that is directly attributable, as determined by the director, to the preparation for and presentation of the game. The director shall determine the projected incremental increase in the tax imposed under section 5739.02 of the Revised Code from information certified to the director by the endorsing municipality or the endorsing county including, but not limited to, historical attendance and ticket sales for the game, income statements showing revenue and expenditures for the game in prior years, attendance capacity at the proposed venues, event budget at the proposed venues, and projected lodging room nights based on historical attendance, attendance capacity at the proposed venues, and duration of the game and related activities. The endorsing municipality or endorsing county is eligible to receive a grant under this section only if the projected incremental increase in receipts from the tax imposed under section 5739.02 of the Revised Code, as determined by the director, exceeds two hundred fifty thousand dollars. The amount of the grant shall be determined by the director but shall not exceed five hundred thousand dollars. The director shall not issue grants with a total value of more than one million dollars in any fiscal year, and shall not issue any grant before July 1, 2011.
(B) If the director of development approves an application for an endorsing municipality or endorsing county and that endorsing municipality or endorsing county enters into a joinder agreement with a site selection organization, the endorsing municipality or endorsing county shall file a copy of the joinder agreement with the director of development, who immediately shall notify the director of budget and management of the filing. Within thirty days after receiving the notice, the director of budget and management shall establish a schedule to disburse from the general revenue fund to such endorsing municipality or endorsing county payments that total the amount certified by the director of development under division (A) of this section, but in no event shall the total amount disbursed exceed five hundred thousand dollars, and no disbursement shall be made before July 1, 2011. The payments shall be used exclusively by the endorsing municipality or endorsing county to fulfill a portion of its obligations to a site selection organization under game support contracts, which obligations may include the payment of costs relating to the preparations necessary for the conduct of the game, including acquiring, renovating, or constructing facilities; to pay the costs of conducting the game; and to assist the local organizing committee, endorsing municipality, or endorsing county in providing assurances required by a site selection organization sponsoring one or more games.
(C) For the purposes of division (A) of this section, the director of development, in consultation with the tax commissioner, shall designate as a market area for a game each area in which they determine there is a reasonable likelihood of measurable economic impact directly attributable to the preparation for and presentation of the game and related events, including areas likely to provide venues, accommodations, and services in connection with the game based on the information and the copy of the joinder undertaking provided to the director under divisions (A) and (B) of this section. The director and commissioner shall determine the geographic boundaries of each market area. An endorsing municipality or endorsing county that has been selected as the site for a game must be included in a market area for the game.
(D)A local organizing committee, endorsing municipality, or endorsing county shall provide information required by the director of development and tax commissioner to enable the director and commissioner to fulfill their duties under this section, including annual audited statements of any financial records required by a site selection organization and data obtained by the local organizing committee, endorsing municipality, or endorsing county relating to attendance at a game and to the economic impact of the game. A local organizing committee, an endorsing municipality, or an endorsing county shall provide an annual audited financial statement if so required by the director and commissioner, not later than the end of the fourth month after the date the period covered by the financial statement ends.
(E)Within sixty days after the game, the endorsing municipality or the endorsing county shall report to the director of development about the economic impact of the game. The report shall be in the form and substance required by the director, including, but not limited to, a final income statement for the event showing total revenue and expenditures and revenue and expenditures in the market area for the game, and ticket sales for the game and any related activities for which admission was charged. The director of development shall determine, based on the reported information and the exercise of reasonable judgment, the incremental increase in receipts from the tax imposed under section 5739.02 of the Revised Code directly attributable to the game. If the actual incremental increase in such receipts is less than the projected incremental increase in receipts, the director may require the endorsing municipality or the endorsing county to refund to the state all or a portion of the grant.
(F)No disbursement may be made under this section if the director of development determines that it would be used for the purpose of soliciting the relocation of a professional sports franchise located in this state.
(G)This section may not be construed as creating or requiring a state guarantee of obligations imposed on an endorsing municipality or endorsing county under a game support contract or any other agreement relating to hosting one or more games in this state.
Added by 128th General Assembly File No. 9, HB 1, § 101.01, eff. 10/16/2009.
Effective Date: 09-29-1995