MHProNews has learned Tim Williams, Executive Director of the Ohio Manufactured Homes Association (OMHA), testified against objectionable EPA language in the Ohio state senate’s budget legislation before the Senate Finance Committee. Of particular concern in the state budget bill (HB 64) is the requirement that, if a water system is discovered to be deficient, a manufactured home community would have to escrow 15 percent of the cost of a new or “substantially modified” water system, though not to exceed $250,000.

If there are inadequate funds in the escrow account and the water system is found to be deficient, one provision in particular that concerns the manufactured housing industry is that within five days of notifying the community management, site rental payments can be deposited with the state EPA, which will in turn use those funds to repair or replace the water system.

Williams was successful in getting the Ohio House of Representatives to remove the objectionable language from its budget legislation. On May 12, 2015 he appeared before the Senate Finance Committee to ask them to remove the objectionable language. The senate will continue hearings and vote next month in advance of the senate/house conference committees that will finalize the budget. According to the state constitution, the state budget bill must be enacted by June 30, 2015. ##

(Photo credit: Ohio Manufactured Homes Association-Tim Williams)

Article submitted by Matthew J. Silver to Daily Business News-MHProNews.