COLUMBUS, Ohio-Although the proposed landscape design tax was left out of the budget bill passed by the Ohio House, a new proposal was entered that asks for a tax on snow removal services. According to Dan Jones, a legislative consultant for the Ohio Nursery and Landscape Association, the ONLA executive board decided to oppose the inclusion of this new tax. He said there are two reasons for the opposition: the revenue generated from this tax will be inconsistent from year-to-year because it will be based on snowfall, and because the tax will be difficult to enforce. Jones explained that independent operators who normally are not in the maintenance business will not likely be aware of the requirement to collect and remit sales tax, adding a burden on the Ohio Department of Taxation to track down these contractors. For more information on how the budget crisis in Ohio is affecting the green industry in that state, visit www.onla.org.