OHIO TOWNSHIP HANDBOOK

1 OHIO TOWNSHIP HANDBOOK _____ March 2019 88 East Broad Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215 Phone: 614-466-4514 or 800-282-0370 Dear TOWNSHIP Official: Public service is both an honor and challenge. In the current environment, service at the local level may be more challenging than ever before. This HANDBOOK is one small way my office seeks to assist you in meeting that challenge. To that end, this HANDBOOK is designed to be updated easily to ensure you have the latest information at your fingertips. Please feel free to forward questions, concerns or suggestions to my office so that the information we provide is accurate, timely and relevant. Of course, a manual of this nature is not to be confused with legal advice.

2 Should you have concerns or questions of a legal nature, please consult your statutory legal counsel, the county prosecutor s office or your private legal counsel, as appropriate. I understand the importance of local government and want to make sure we are serving you in ways that meet your needs and further our shared goals. If my office can be of further assistance, please let us know. I look forward to working with you as we face the unique challenges before us and deliver on our promises to the great citizens of Ohio. Thank you for your service. Sincerely, Keith Faber Auditor of State Page(s)Sectioni-iiiTable of Contentsvi-viiTable of ContentsA-2 Section A - TOWNSHIP Officers and EmployeesA-15 Section A - TOWNSHIP Officers and EmployeesA-22 Section A - TOWNSHIP Officers and EmployeesA-32 Section A - TOWNSHIP Officers and EmployeesA-41 Section A - TOWNSHIP Officers and EmployeesD-2 Section D - Administration and FinanceD-13 Section D - Administration and FinanceD-33 - D-34 Section D - Administration and FinanceD-61 - D-63 Section D - Administration and FinanceI-1 - I-61 Section I - Fire and Ambulance ServicesL-9 Section L - Police ProtectionEntire Appendix IAppendix IAppendix II Table of ContentsAppendix IIII-5 Appendix IIII-7 Appendix IIII-112 Appendix IIEntire Appendix VAppendix VMarch 2019 Revisionsi TABLE

3 OF CONTENTS CALENDAR FOR TOWNSHIP OFFICERS AND FISCAL OFFICER .. 1 SECTIONS: OFFICERS AND Officers Generally .. A-1 Qualifications for Office .. A-1 Nomination and Election .. A-2 Term of Office .. A-3 Certificate of Election .. A-3 Oath of Office .. A-3 Giving Bond .. A-4 Approving the Bond .. A-5 Filing Bond .. A-6 Vacancy in TOWNSHIP Office .. A-6 Illegal Interest in Public Contracts .. A-10 Insurance as A-12 Waiver of .. A-14 Trustees .. A-15 Compensation of A-15 Definition of Budget .. A-15 What Constitutes A Day's Work .. A-16 What Work Is Compensable .. A-17 Method of Payment .. A-17 Attendance at Meetings .. A-20 Expenses of Trustees .. A-21 TOWNSHIP Website .. A-22 Training A-23 III. TOWNSHIP Fiscal Officer.

4 A-24 Training of Fiscal .. A-24 Removal of Fiscal .. A-24 Duties Of Fiscal Officer .. A-25 Keep the Minutes .. A-25 Issuance of Warrants .. A-26 Preparation of the Annual Financial Report .. A-27 Accounting Records .. A-28 Miscellaneous Duties .. A-29 Deputy Fiscal Officer .. A-30 Assistant Fiscal Officer .. A-31 Compensation of Fiscal Officer .. A-32 When Trustees May Determine Compensation .. A-32 Other Compensation .. A-33 Compensation of Fiscal Officer Appointed To Fill Vacancy .. A-34 Expenditure: A Paying Out Of Money .. A-34 Expenses Of Fiscal Officer .. A-34 Fiscal Officer As A TOWNSHIP Employee .. A-36 Certified Public Records Training .. A-36 ii TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONTINUED) IV. Employees Of A TOWNSHIP .

5 A-37 Unionization .. A-37 Non-Union or Public Employees - General Provisions Not Covered By A Collective Bargaining Agreement .. A-40 Qualifications .. A-40 Mode of Employment .. A-40 Rate of Pay .. A-40 Hours of Employment .. A-43 Vacation, Sick Leave, and Holidays .. A-44 Retirement .. A-46 Insurance .. A-49 Other .. A-54 Health and Wellness Benefit .. A-54 Deferred Compensation Plans .. A-54 Workers' Compensation .. A-54 TOWNSHIP Attorney .. A-55 TOWNSHIP Administrator.

6 A-56 Volunteers as Employees .. A-57 B. LAND USE CONTROL I. TOWNSHIP Zoning .. B-1 Initiation of Zoning .. B-1 Zoning Commission .. B-2 Zoning Expenditures .. B-3 The Zoning Resolution .. B-4 Zoning Permits .. B-8 Zoning Inspector .. B-9 Zoning Board Of Appeals .. B-10 Amendment or Repeal of the Zoning Resolution .. B-10 Noise .. B-11 Sexually Oriented or Child Victim Oriented .. B-12 Junk Motor Vehicles .. B-12 II. Regional Planning Commission .. B-13 III. Boundaries .. B-14 IV. Annexation .. B-15 V. Incorporation.

7 B-16 VI. Mineral .. B-17 C. TOWNSHIP LIABILITY .. C-1 D. ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE I. Board Meetings .. D-1 Procedure .. D-1 Organization Of Board .. D-3 Action by Majority of D-3 Minutes Of Meeting .. D-4 Special Meetings .. D-5 Executive Session .. D-6 II. Records .. D-8 Keeping Records .. D-8 Authority for Destruction or Disposal of TOWNSHIP Records .. D-8 Procedure for Destruction or Disposal .. D-9 Public Records Law .. D-10 iii TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONTINUED) III. Townhall .. D-18 Providing the Townhall .. D-18 Free Use Of Townhall.

8 D-19 Leasing Townhall .. D-20 Liability .. D-21 Joint Public Building .. D-22 Sale of Property - Real and Personal .. D-23 IV. Fiscal Transactions .. D-26 The Budget .. D-26 Preparation of the Budget .. D-26 Adoption of the Budget .. D-28 Presentation to the County Auditor .. D-29 Action by the County Budget Commission .. D-29 Appeal to the Board of Tax Appeals .. D-32 Levying the Taxes .. D-33 Overlapping .. D-34 Official Certificate of Estimated Resources .. D-35 Amended Official Certificate of Estimated Resources.

9 D-36 The Annual Appropriation Resolution .. D-37 Adoption of the Annual Appropriation Resolution .. D-37 Temporary Appropriation Measure .. D-38 Funds Available For Appropriation .. D-39 Overdrafts As Affecting Appropriations .. D-40 Limitation on Appropriations .. D-42 Supplemental Appropriation Measures .. D-42 Appropriation Transfers Within A Fund .. D-44 Certification Of Funds .. D-44 Necessity for Certification .. D-44 Fiscal Officer's Liability For False Certification .. D-46 Blanket Certificate and Super Blanket Certificates.

10 D-47 Trustees Authority to Incur Obligations .. D-48 Funds .. D-50 Crediting of Funds - General .. D-50 Bonds, Notes, and Certificates of Indebtedness .. D-52 Proceeds From Sale .. D-52 Interest .. D-54 Transfer of Funds .. D-56 Charging of Funds .. D-57 Borrowing Advances .. D-58 Charitable Organizations .. D-59 Public .. D-60 Payment of TOWNSHIP .. D-61 Direct .. D-61 Capital .. D-62 TOWNSHIP Use of Credit .. D-62 Casino Revenue .. D-65 Reverse Auctions.