Ohio House Passes Legislation Modifying County Engineer Vacancies

COLUMBUS –This week, the Ohio House of Representatives passed House Bill 430, which will modify procedures for filling county engineer vacancies, announced bill sponsors State Representatives Roy Klopfenstein (R-Haviland) and Elgin Rogers (D-Toledo).

The legislation seeks to aid counties in finding more qualified individuals to run for county engineer and establish new opportunities for counties that are unable to fill an engineer vacancy.

The proposed legislation will:

Grant county commissioners the authority to contract with engineers from other counties to fill vacant positions in the county engineer's office for the remainder of the term if they haven’t been able to fill the vacancy through either election or appointment.
Eliminate the pay discrepancy for engineers who also maintain a private practice.
 

“This legislation builds on the success of similar provisions for county coroners, which have been invaluable in addressing vacancies in critical county offices,” said Klopfenstein. “By requiring counties with an engineer vacancy to compensate the contracted engineer at the same rate as their own, this bill ensures fairness while maintaining essential services for our communities.”

“Our bipartisan legislation provides communities across Ohio with the tools and resources needed to address county engineer vacancies,” said Rogers. “I am proud to partner with our county governments to implement practical and cost-effective solutions for this challenge.”

The legislation now moves to the Ohio Senate for consideration.