Townships

History of Ohio Townships

In Ohio, the township predates our state government. The townships' size and shape were determined by the Congressional Acts, which established the various land grants. As the Ohio territory became populated, it was only natural that the surveyed townships should become the basic unit of local government. 

The township is a political subdivision of the state. To keep pace with the demands of changing times, the functions, duties and obligations of the township have changed over the years. Demands for increased or different services have prompted the state legislature to grant Ohio's 1,308 townships the authority to fulfill these changing needs.

Three trustees and a fiscal officer, each elected to a four-year term, administer our townships today. 

Elected officials fill their roles on a part-time basis; however, their intimate knowledge of their community, its needs and its citizens enables them to offer more personal service than any other unit of government. 

Townships today are responsible for fire and police protection, parks and recreation, zoning, cemeteries, waste disposal, maintaining roads and more. 

-Adapted from Ohio Township News, Ohio Township Association