Login | March 12, 2025
Bill would allow large townships to expand boards to 5 members
KEITH ARNOLD
Special to the Legal News
Published: March 10, 2025
A Powell state lawmaker believes the residents of large-population townships such as Orange Township in Delaware County are entitled to improved proportional representation on township trustee boards if the electorate so chooses.
Rep. Brian Lorenz said residents in townships with a population of 500 are substantially better represented proportionally by their trustees than individuals from Orange Township which has a population exceeding 37,000.
In accordance with state law, all Ohio townships are limited to a board of three trustees.
“A board of township trustees that is responsible for a population of 500, proportionally represents around 167 people each,” Lorenz said during a recent Local Government Committee hearing in the Ohio House of Representatives. “Comparatively, a board of township trustees that is responsible for a population of 30,000 people, proportionally represents around 10,000 people. There is a clear discrepancy in the Ohio Revised Code regarding township representation.”
The lawmaker has proposed––along with Rep. Rachel Baker, a Cincinnati Democrat––a bill to allow the electorates of townships with populations of at least 20,000 to expand their township boards to five members.
“Townships provide a wide range of services, such as road maintenance, police, fire protection services, cemeteries, EMS, zoning, park services, yet no matter the size of the township, the residents are represented by three individuals,” Lorenz said.
According to analysis of House Bill 76 by the Ohio Legislative Service Commission, the process begins with a petition, which must be signed by the number of electors equal to 10 percent of the votes cast for governor in the most recent election.
Upon the petition’s submission to the county board of elections, the elections board must put the question of expanding to five trustees on the ballot at the next general election in an even-numbered year, occurring at least 90 days after the day the petition was submitted.
If approved by a majority of those voting, the township would expand to five trustees on its board by electing two additional trustees during the next election.
“This bill is a great example of the value of permissive legislation that provides local communities options to best govern themselves,” Baker said during the hearing. “It does not mandate an increase to more trustees, but rather is permissive in nature providing options for trustees to have more support and voters to advocate for more representation if that is something the local community assesses is needed.”
She said that if trustees and residents in large-population townships are satisfied with the status quo, the bill would change nothing.
“If trustees or voters in a large township feel that more representation is needed, they can advocate for this issue to be added to a local ballot and the voters are able to weigh the pros and cons of an increase in trustees for their specific community.”
HB 76 also outlines the process of returning to a three-member board after either the electorate petitions such a change or the population drops below 20,000.
In either case, the two additional trustees would serve the remainder of their terms and vacancies would be filled, but those positions would not be subsequently elected, analysis detailed.
Three House members have co-sponsored the bill, which awaits further consideration by the committee.
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