Townships Go to the Ballot for Funding

COLUMBUS, Ohio — With 441 of the 508 township issues (86.8 percent) passing on yesterday’s ballot statewide, townships will continue to receive funding for essential services, as residents once again recognized the importance of funding these daily operations.

“We have seen an increase over the last few years in townships putting levies on the ballot in an effort to fund the needs of the township because of recent cuts to local government funding,” said Matthew J. DeTemple, the executive director for the Ohio Township Association. “We are continually humbled that township residents still see the value of townships by overwhelmingly supporting township issues across the state.”  

Despite the fact that townships rely heavily on property taxes as their principal local funding source, townships levy only about six percent of the property taxes in Ohio.

Of the 262 total levies on the ballot related to township safety (EMS, police and fire), there was a total passage rate of 95 percent. Most of those levies were to renew the previous levy. Road levies represented the second largest portion of township issues, with a 74 percent passage rate.  Here is a complete breakdown of the results of major categories of levies on the ballot yesterday:

There are several types of levies, including additional, renewal and replacement.  The majority of the issues before voters yesterday were renewal levies which had a 98 percent passage rate. Renewal levies reinstate all or a portion of an existing levy, and continue at the millage rate in effect at the time of voter approval. A total of 79 out of 82 township replacement levies were successful.  Replacement levies simply replace an existing levy, but allow for increased property values to apply to the new replacement levy.

 There were a total of 132 additional levies, with just 73 passing. Representing the portion of levies most likely to fail, this type of levy may be used to cover current expenses, a specific permanent improvement, road and bridge repairs, safety services, etc.   

The Ohio Township Association is a statewide organization dedicated to the promotion and preservation of township government in Ohio. The Association was founded on June 28, 1928, and is organized in 87 Ohio counties. The Association 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.