(A) As used in this section:

(1) "Chief legal officer" has the same meaning as in section 733.621 of the Revised Code.

(2) "Political subdivision" means a county, a municipal corporation, or a township that adopts a limited home rule government under Chapter 504. of the Revised Code.

(B) A prosecuting attorney may appoint assistants and employees, except a member of the family of the prosecuting attorney, in accordance with division (B) of section 309.06 of the Revised Code, a chief legal officer of a municipal corporation or an official designated as prosecutor in a municipal corporation may appoint assistants and employees, except a member of the family of the chief legal officer or official designated as prosecutor, in accordance with section 733.621 of the Revised Code, and a township law director appointed under section 504.15 of the Revised Code may appoint assistants and employees, except a member of the family of the township law director, in accordance with section 504.151 of the Revised Code, if all of the following apply:

(1) The services to be furnished by the appointee or employee are necessary services for the political subdivision or are authorized by the legislative authority, governing board, or other contracting authority of the political subdivision.

(2) The treatment accorded the political subdivision is either preferential to or the same as that accorded other clients or customers of the appointee or employee in similar transactions, or the legislative authority, governing board, or other contracting authority of the political subdivision, in its sole discretion, determines that the compensation and other terms of appointment or employment of the appointee or employee are fair and reasonable to the political subdivision.

(3) The appointment or employment is made after prior written disclosure to the legislative authority, governing board, or other contracting authority of the political subdivision of the business relationship between the prosecuting attorney, the chief legal officer or official designated as prosecutor in a municipal corporation, or the township law director and the appointee or employee thereof. In the case of a municipal corporation, the disclosure may be made or evidenced in an ordinance, resolution, or other document that does either or both of the following:

(a) Authorizes the furnishing of services as required under division (B)(1) of this section;

(b) Determines that the compensation and other terms of appointment or employment of the appointee or employee are fair and reasonable to the political subdivision as required under division (B)(2) of this section.

(4) The prosecuting attorney, the elected chief legal officer, or the township law director does not receive any distributive share or other portion, in whole or in part, of the earnings of the business associate, partner, or employee paid by the political subdivision to the business associate, partner, or employee for services rendered for the political subdivision.

(C) It is not a violation of this section or of section 102.03 or 2921.42 of the Revised Code for the legislative authority, the governing board, or other contracting authority of a political subdivision to engage the services of any firm that practices the profession of law upon the terms approved by the legislative authority, the governing board, or the contracting authority, or to designate any partner, officer, or employee of that firm as a nonelected public official or employee of the political subdivision, whether the public office or position of employment is created by statute, charter, ordinance, resolution, or other legislative or administrative action.

Effective Date: 09-20-1999.