There are four elected officials of a township, three trustees and one fiscal officer, who are elected to four-year terms. They provide the administration of the township through planning, coordinating and implementing township goals. They are also your neighbors. They need to have a full understanding of resident and community needs in order to provide personal service.
(In 1804, the elected officials of a township consisted of three trustees, a clerk, two overseers of the poor and a sufficient number of supervisors of highway, in addition to justices of the peace and constables. Later, a township treasurer and assessor were added.)
How, in the economic downturn, have we not heard of too many townships in financial problems? Primarily, it goes back to the limited powers of a township, the shared services with the county and the fact that funding for a township is limited and a more stable mechanism than many city governments.
Funding, for the most part, is based on property tax, gasoline and motor vehicle license taxes, and local government funds from the state. Some townships also ask voters to approve levies for additional police and/or fire/EMS protection and an additional township license plate tax. The source of funding is easily budgeted, as it is predictable. Also, townships are limited on the type and amount of debt they can enter into on behalf of the community.
It does not hurt that townships collaborate and work with county governments (engineer, prosecutor, sheriff, EMA, zoning and planning). This is a way to minimize expenditures while, at the same time, working together and sharing resources and knowledge.
As townships change from rural to urban, they can contract for additional services and/or hire an administrator, law director, provide additional police protection, and establish their own zoning, while still coordinating with the county. It is not uncommon for townships to have a number of reciprocal agreements with neighboring townships, cities and the county.
Townships are limited in what they can do, as outlined in the Ohio Revised Code. If it is not stated in the ORC as something townships are permitted to do, then it is prohibited. As technology and our way of life change, so does the ORC.
Like any organization or unit of government, a township is what you, as its residents, make it. Your personal involvement is critical to the success of your community. Attend a trustee meeting or volunteer to serve on a committee.
Fortunately, getting to know your local officials is simple; they are your neighbors. Please join me and the other township trustees and fiscal officers here in Butler County as we celebrate “Ohio Township Day” on Monday, Feb. 1.
Liberty Twp. Trustee Christine Matacic is president of the Butler County Township Association. She is a member of the Ohio Township Association.