Administrative divisions of Ohio facts for kids
The administrative divisions of Ohio are like the different levels of government that help run the state. Ohio is divided into smaller areas to make it easier to manage. These areas include counties, cities and villages (called municipalities), townships, and special districts like school districts. People vote for officials in these different divisions to help make decisions and provide services. Elections for county leaders happen in even-numbered years. Elections for city, village, township, and school board leaders happen in odd-numbered years.
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Counties: Ohio's Main Divisions
Ohio has 88 counties. Each county has its own government structure. Some counties can create their own rules, which is called "home rule." To become a village, an area needs at least 1,600 people. To become a city, it needs at least 5,000 people.
Unless a county has its own special rules, it will have these elected leaders:
- A three-person board of commissioners: These leaders make laws and manage the county.
- County sheriff: This is the top law enforcement officer. Sheriffs run the county jail. They also help local courts by serving warrants and moving prisoners. Some cities and villages have their own police.
- County coroner: This person finds out why someone died if the death is unusual.
- County auditor: Manages the county's money and records.
- County treasurer: Handles the county's funds.
- Clerk of the court of common pleas: Keeps court records.
- County prosecutor: Represents the state in criminal cases. They also give legal advice to the county government.
- County engineer: Oversees public works like roads.
- County recorder: Keeps records of property ownership changes.
Nine of Ohio's counties were already set up when Ohio became a state in 1802.
Charter Counties: Special Rules
The Ohio Constitution allows counties to set up a special government plan called a charter. This is similar to how many cities and villages operate. Today, Summit County and Cuyahoga County have these special charters. Cuyahoga County's charter was approved by voters in 2009.
A charter lets a county have powers usually given to cities. If a county wants to use these powers in cities or villages without their permission, most voters in the county must agree. This vote needs to pass in the largest city and in the rest of the county. In smaller counties, it must pass in most of the combined cities and townships.
In 2010, the average population of an Ohio county was about 131,096 people. Cuyahoga County was the largest with over 1.2 million people. Vinton County was the smallest with about 13,435 people. The average county size is about 464 square miles. Ashtabula County is the largest county by area at about 702 square miles. Lake County is the smallest at about 228 square miles.
Municipalities: Cities and Villages
Ohio has two types of incorporated municipalities: cities and villages. In 2008-2009, Ohio had 251 cities and 681 villages.
Here's how they are defined:
- An area becomes a city if it has 5,000 or more people in the last federal census. It can also become a city if it has 5,000 registered voters.
- All other municipalities are villages.
- If a city's population drops below 5,000, it becomes a village.
- If a village's population grows to 5,000 or more, it becomes a city.
There are a couple of exceptions:
- A municipality with at least 5,000 registered voters is a city.
- A municipality with more than 5,000 residents can stay a village if its population falls below 5,000 after removing students and prisoners.
If a township's borders are the same as a city's or village's borders, the township government stops existing.
Since 1992, to become a city, an area must meet these conditions:
- It must be at least four square miles in size.
- It must have at least 25,000 people. It also needs at least 1,000 people per square mile.
- It must have a certain amount of property value per person.
- It cannot completely surround another existing city or village.
- All parts of the area must be connected.
Cities and villages have full "home rule" powers. This means they can create their own laws and rules for self-government. Each municipality chooses how its government will work. Most have elected mayors and city councils. City governments offer more services than county governments. These services include police forces and professional fire departments.
Cities often pay for extra services with local income taxes. Townships usually cannot collect these taxes. Income tax rates in cities can range from 0.3% to 3.0%.
Some municipality names are not unique. For example, there is a village of Centerville and a city of Centerville.
Townships: Local Communities
Each county in Ohio is divided into townships. There are over 1,000 townships in Ohio. Some are very small with only a few hundred people. Others are very large with tens of thousands of residents, bigger than most cities. All areas of the state are part of a township government. The only exception is when a township's borders match a city's or village's borders.
Townships can have limited "home rule" powers. Townships with 3,500 to 5,000 residents can adopt limited home rule. This happens after voters ask for it and approve it in a vote. Townships with 5,000 or more people can also adopt limited home rule. This can happen with voter approval or by a decision from the township trustees. Townships with 15,000 or more people are called "urban townships."
When a township's borders are the same as a city's or village's borders, the township government stops existing. This creates what is called a "paper township." Many townships in Ohio no longer exist as active governments, especially in southwestern Ohio. For example, the City of Cincinnati covers the same area as Cincinnati Township. This township no longer exists as a government.
Townships have four elected officials:
- A three-person board of township trustees.
- A fiscal officer.
All are elected for four-year terms in non-partisan elections.
Special Districts: Focused Services
As in other states, Ohio has different types of special districts. These districts provide specific services. Examples include:
- Joint economic development districts (for economic growth)
- New community authorities
- Special improvement districts
- Sewer districts
- Transportation improvement districts (for roads and transport)
School Districts: Education for All
Ohio has over 600 city, local, and exempted village school districts. These districts provide education from kindergarten through 12th grade. There are also about 40 joint vocational school districts. These schools offer job training and are separate from the K-12 districts. School district borders do not always follow county, township, or city borders. A single school district can cover parts of several townships, cities, or counties.
Each school district is run by an elected board of education. This board directly manages the local schools. It also hires the local superintendent of schools.
School districts can collect local school taxes and issue bonds to raise money. Voters must approve these. Most school funding comes from property taxes. However, districts can also collect income taxes, up to 1.75% of earned income.
In 1914, county boards of education were created to help local school districts. In 1995, these boards were renamed Educational Service Centers (ESCs). They can also merge with nearby ESCs to form larger regional agencies. Each ESC is overseen by an elected governing board and led by a superintendent. ESCs get most of their funding from fees for services they provide to school districts.
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