A recently-passed law that gives Ohio's county commissioners the power to authorize property tax exemptions to wind turbine developers could impact local school districts.

Senate Bill 232 gives exclusive power to county commissioners to accept regular property taxes from renewable energy developers or provide them incentives by collecting substantially smaller, annual payments.

Schools in the Grand Lake area count on property taxes to make ends meet and could be financially impacted by the incentives, three local superintendents learned at a meeting Tuesday in the Mercer County commissioner's office.

Speaking on the issue were Josh Hahn and John Leutz of the County Commissioners Association of Ohio, who are on a road trip this month to educate county commissioners statewide about the new law and the responsibilities that fall in their lap. Present at the commissioners'' meeting were superintendents Andy Smith of the Mercer County Educational Service Center, Greg Puthoff of Parkway Local School... [continue via Web link]