House Bill 315, the Township Omnibus Bill, Introduced
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 3, 2023
House Bill 315, the Township Omnibus Bill, Introduced
Blacklick, Ohio – Yesterday, the Ohio Township Association (OTA), with the assistance of Representatives Thomas Hall (R- Madison Twp.) and Bill Seitz (R- Cincinnati), introduced House Bill 315, the township omnibus bill.
This legislation, initiated by the OTA each general assembly, works to address township issues and improve the township form of government in Ohio. This year’s legislation contains various fixes to current law and gives new authorities to townships across the state. The OTA is honored that both Representative Seitz and Representative Hall, former township trustees themselves, have chosen to champion this bill.
Representative Bill Seitz stated, “As a former township trustee myself, who on more than one occasion came to Columbus to lobby state legislators on important township issues, it has been a perennial interest of mine to assist the Ohio Township Association in its biennial quest for modest updates in the laws governing townships. My sponsorship of this bill with Rep. Hall, who is another former township trustee, is just the latest demonstration of that commitment.”
As township authority is derived exclusively from the Ohio Revised Code, this bill is vital to the functions and operations of township government.
“I had the honor of serving as a township trustee in Madison Township from 2016 to 2020. I learned a lot in my time about the role and potential of good township government,” state Representative Hall. “Being a champion of township government means empowering our local leaders and entrusting them to fulfill their roles of being the voice and decision makers of their townships. I am proud to sponsor this legislation.”
The bill includes eight provisions, including allowing townships to post public notices online, have their own vehicle license plates, and create New Community Authorities. The bill also corrects a funding issue from House Bill 33, the state’s operating budget, by reestablishing the Indigent Burial Fund.
The OTA will continue to work with the 135th General Assembly to ensure the support by passage of this bill.
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The Ohio Township Association is a statewide organization dedicated to the promotion and preservation of township government in Ohio. The OTA was founded on June 28, 1928, and is organized in 87 Ohio counties. OTA has more than 5,200 active members, made up of trustees and fiscal officers from Ohio’s 1,308 townships, and more than 4,000 associate members.