|
|
Township Government
Townships exercise only those powers specifically delegated to them by the State General Assembly.
Townships were first laid out in Ohio according to the basic policy for the survey and sales of public lands established by Congress in the Articles of Confederation in 1785. This system of townships, six miles square subdivided into plots one mile square, has been used in surveying most public land ever since. After the first Ohio Constitution was adopted, the legislature tended to follow the original survey lines in creating townships. In Ohio, Townships are unincorporated civil jurisdictions. All land areas not incorporated into municipalities, i.e. cities and villages, lie within the jurisdiction of a township. The present 1,320 townships in Ohio are divisions of the counties. Essentially, townships are administrative subdivisions of county government that function as a "statutory local government" exercising only those powers specifically delegated to them by the General Assembly. Unlike municipal corporations, Ohio townships do not enjoy the broad grant of local self-government regarding matters of local concern including the form and structure of local government. Townships most commonly provide residents services such as road maintenance, cemetery management, police and fire protection, solid waste disposal and zoning regulations.In 1991, the Ohio General Assembly enacted legislation giving townships the ability to establish a "limited form of self government." Less than a dozen townships have opted for this status, commonly referred to as Township Home Rule. While law grants those townships that meet the specific criteria expanded legislative authority and more power to enforce township resolutions, townships remain unincorporated jurisdictions which may be significantly altered by action of the General Assembly, the board of county commissioners, or municipal annexation. Indeed, municipal corporations annex significant parcels of township territory each year. Since the adoption of the 1851 Ohio Constitution, the basic form of township government has remained relatively unchanged. Governed by three elected trustees serving four-year terms, this board of township trustees is the legislative authority and also fulfills many executive responsibilities as well. A fourth elected official, a township Township Fiscal Officer, is independent of the trustees, yet by law must work closely with them. The Township Fiscal Officer's duties include the recording of the township proceedings and keeping records to township financial accounts. * Information obtained and reproduced with permission from The League of Women Voters of Ohio Township Organization Chart
DEPARTMENT FUNCTIONS
Administration/Board of Trustees:Governmental Responsibilities
Fire:
Police:
Public Works:
Parks & Services
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
