County Township Associations

The Ohio Township Association is comprised of 87 County Township Associations (CTAs), which serve as liaisons between the statewide organization and the fiscal officers and trustees in their respective counties. Each county in Ohio, with the exception of Cuyahoga, has a County Township Association that acts as a local representative for the OTA. The CTAs provide one channel of communication between the OTA and the general membership, and the OTA is only as strong as the CTAs are active.

How CTAs Are Utilized for Membership

The Ohio Township Association has more than 5,000 active members, made up of trustees and fiscal officers from Ohio's 1,308 townships, and more than 1,000 affiliate and 2,000 associate members. The annual membership drive is conducted through the 87 County Township Associations (CTAs), with the County Membership Coordinators being the primary points of contact. Any township official, Ohio resident, or business that wishes to join the OTA must do so through their local CTA. These folks help support the work of the CTAs and enjoy the benefits of OTA associate membership.

To find your county's membership coordinator, please click here.

Besides OTA dues, most County Township Associations require a supplemental fee for active and associate membership in their association. The fee is based on events offered to CTA members throughout the year. Some counties host events like ice cream socials or fish fries, which are paid for through annual dues.

As different areas of the state face varying challenges at the local level, the CTAs offer an intermediate level of support for townships in each county. They also serve as the primary conduit through which information flows from the OTA to the townships and vice-versa. Officers for County Township Associations include a president, vice president, secretary–treasurer, and executive committee member.

MORE INFORMATION ON OTA MEMBERSHIP TYPES

Click here for a sample Treasurer's Report

Membership Awards

Five OTA membership awards are given each year: three for affiliate members and two for associate members. Affiliate awards include Highest Number, Highest Percentage Increase, and Highest Average Affiliates. Associate member awards include Highest Number and Highest Percentage Increase. The winning counties receive recognition and a plaque at the Annual Winter Conference and one free OTA Winter Conference registration for their membership coordinator (non-transferable, one prize per county).

To be eligible to win, a county must:

1. Have had affiliate or associate members the previous year
2. Have submitted all membership dues by June 30
3. For Highest Percentage Increase categories, the county would need to have at least 20 combined affiliate and associate members from the previous year

• There is only one award per county per year. If a county qualifies for more than one award, the other prize(s) will be awarded to the next highest-qualified county(ies).
• In the case of a tie, the county that has least recently qualified for a membership award will receive the award.

Congratulations to these 2023 membership award winners:

• Highest Number of Affiliates – Lorain County with 107 affiliate members

• Highest Percentage Increase in Affiliates – Logan County with a 400% increase

• Highest Average Affiliates – Erie County with 5.4 affiliate members per township

• Highest Number of Associates – Fulton County with 193 associate members

• Highest Percentage Increase in Associates – Delaware County with a 74% increase

Besides an annual membership drive, CTAs hold social and business meetings that address specific countywide concerns and can provide networking and development opportunities for the township officials in each county. The OTA encourages CTAs to hold at least four meetings annually, with one focused on county officials and state legislators.

Local organizations are called on to assist the OTA and participate in countywide lobbying efforts for legislation of importance to township government and communicate local legislative needs to the OTA.

CTAs typically provide volunteers at the annual OTA Winter Conference and help plan educational workshops, OTA one–day sessions, and regional meetings. CTAs work with local media outlets; participate in countywide events, such as providing a booth at their county fair; and plan events, whenever possible, around Township Day each February 1.

VIEW THE OTA COUNTY ASSOCIATION HANDBOOK

County Directory

The OTA will post an updated County Directory on this page at the beginning of each month. To access the newest version of the PDF, please click here or on the image below.