Ohio Townships Receive Strong Voter Support for Local Funding

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                                                                                     Contact: Anne Beauch

November 5, 2025                                                                                                                                                                       beauch@ohiotownships.org

Ohio Townships Receiver Strong Voter Support for Local Funding

Blacklick, Ohio – The Ohio Township Association (OTA) is pleased to share a summary of the 2025 general election results, based on unofficial tallies. On November 4, Ohio’s townships saw 496 issues on the ballot statewide. Of the 496 issues, 442 passed, representing an 89 percent approval rate.

Townships across the state vary greatly in population but collectively serve 35 percent of the state’s residents. Unlike other forms of local government, townships are statutory entities and do not have the authority to levy income or sales taxes. Instead, property taxes and voter-approved levies serve as their primary sources of revenue.

“Townships only levy about seven percent of the local government taxes in Ohio,” said Heidi M. Fought, OTA Executive Director. “The fact that 89 percent of township issues passed on Tuesday demonstrates that township residents continue to strongly support the services townships provide.”

Among the 496 township levies on the ballot, public safety services were the most common. Levies for fire, police, and EMS (or combinations thereof) accounted for 256 levies presented to voters during this election. With a 90 percent passage rate for safety service levies, township residents have spoken loud and clear that investing in public safety is a top priority.

Townships remain one of the most effective and efficient forms of government, with officials seeking voter approval only when necessary to fund specific, essential community services. The strong support reflected in this election underscores that township residents not only recognize the value, but also the critical importance, of sustaining the services that directly impact their quality of life.

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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 5,000 active members, made up of trustees and fiscal officers from Ohio’s 1,308 townships, and more than 3,000 associate members.