Ohio Township Association Responds to House Bill 96, the State Operating Budget
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 26, 2025
Ohio Township Association Applauds Passage of HJR 8, Public Works Reauthorization
Blacklick, Ohio – The Ohio Township Association (OTA) commends the General Assembly for completing House Bill 96, the state’s biennial operating budget for Fiscal Years 2026-2027. The legislation includes several provisions that directly benefit Ohio’s townships and reflect longstanding OTA legislative priorities.
Included in HB 96 is a provision requiring a local option petitioner for alcohol sales to pay the entire ballot cost of an election when there is no candidate or issue on the ballot, an OTA legislative priority aimed at reducing unnecessary township expenses. The legislation also raises the burial permit fee to $10, with $6 of that amount allocated to the Cemetery Grant program, another OTA legislative priority.
The OTA is pleased to see an increase to the Local Government Fund by 0.05%, as well as additional funding for fire department grants - $8 million for departments in counties with populations of 70,000 or fewer, and an annual $25 million increase to the Brownfield Remediation Fund.
House Bill 96 also increases the Ohio Public Works Commission (OPWC) Small Government Program allocation from 10% to 12%, with the first $10 million in FY 26 dedicated specifically to township projects in townships with fewer than 5,000 residents.
The OTA supports the inclusion of adult-use marijuana provisions in the budget, which allocate 36% of the 10% tax in perpetuity to the Host Community Cannabis Fund for townships with dispensaries. Disappointingly, HB 96 does not, however, establish a payment mechanism for communities currently hosting adult-use dispensaries.
The OTA is also disappointed in the inclusion of language eliminating replacement levies after January 1, 2026, which could hinder townships’ ability to manage long-term funding. The OTA opposes changes to the composition of the county budget commission. While the county prosecutor remains on the commission, if the prosecutor recuses themselves, a county commissioner will serve as the alternate – which the OTA believes could be a conflict of interest.
The OTA is requesting that Governor DeWine veto the county budget commission language, as well as a change to increasing the signature threshold needed from 15% to 35% to referendum a township zoning decision.
As HB 96 takes effect, Ohio townships will experience several notable changes in fiscal policy and operational procedures. The OTA remains committed to working with the General Assembly and Governor DeWine to ensure township voices are heard and to advocate for efficient and responsive local government.
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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 3,000 affiliate and associate members.