Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 145.20 – Elective officials may become members of system - credit for prior service

(A) Any elective official of the state of Ohio or of any political subdivision thereof having employees in the public employees retirement system shall be considered as an employee of the state or such political subdivision, and may become a member of the system upon application to the public employees retirement board, with all the rights, privileges, and obligations of membership. An elective official who becomes a member of the system on or after January 1, 2003, shall make an election pursuant to section 145.19 of the Revised Code not later than one hundred eighty days after applying for membership in the system. The election is effective as of the date the official applies for membership and is irrevocable on receipt by the system. If a form evidencing an election is not received by the system not later than the last day of the one-hundred-eighty-day period, the official is deemed to have elected to participate in the PERS defined benefit plan.
(B) Credit for service between January 1, 1935, and the date that membership is established, except service as an elective official that was subject to the tax on wages imposed by the "Federal Insurance Contributions Act," 68A Stat. 415 (1954), 26 U.S.C.A. 3101, as amended, may be secured by the elective official provided the elective official does all of the following:
1. (1) Pays into the employees' savings fund an amount specified by the board that is equal to one hundred per cent of the additional liability resulting from the purchase of that year or portion of a year of credit as determined by an actuary employed by the board;
2. (2) Completes one and one-half years of contributing membership in the public employees retirement system subsequent to the date membership was established;
3. (3) Participates in the PERS defined benefit plan or a PERS defined contribution plan with definitely determinable benefits. A member may choose to purchase in any one payment only part of the credit the member is eligible to purchase, subject to board rules. The public employees retirement board shall determine the amount and manner of payment. In the event of death or withdrawal from service, the payment into the employees' savings fund for such service credit shall be considered as accumulated contributions of the member.