New Rome, Ohio facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
New Rome, Ohio
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Broad Street businesses
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 New Rome, Ohio
Location in Ohio
New Rome, Ohio
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Ohio |
| County | Franklin |
| Township | Prairie |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.02 sq mi (0.044 km2) |
| • Land | 0.02 sq mi (0.044 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0 km2) 0% |
| Elevation | 925 ft (282 m) |
| Population
(2000)
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| • Total | 60 |
| • Density | 3,000/sq mi (1,363/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| FIPS code | 39-55426 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1049010 |
New Rome was a very small community in Ohio, United States. It was located in Franklin County, near the city of Columbus. New Rome was first set up as a village in 1947. However, it was officially closed down in 2004.
At its largest, New Rome was only about 0.02 square miles. In 2000, only 60 people lived there. New Rome became famous for its traffic court and for being a "speed trap." This means police would often ticket drivers for speeding. It also had problems with its local government.
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The Story of New Rome
New Rome became well-known across the country. This was because of its traffic court and issues with its local leaders. In 2004, a judge decided that the village should no longer exist. Its land and people then became part of Prairie Township.
The Famous Speed Trap
New Rome's police force used to stop many drivers. This happened on West Broad Street, a busy road that went through the village. The speed limit suddenly dropped from 45 miles per hour to 35 miles per hour. Police would pull over thousands of drivers for speeding.
This brought in almost $400,000 each year, mostly from speeding tickets. The police also gave tickets for small things. These included dusty taillights or windows that were too dark. Most of this money went back to the police department itself. The police mainly focused on traffic tickets.
Even though only 60 people lived in New Rome, it had up to 15 part-time police officers. Many local businesses complained that customers avoided the area. They were worried about getting tickets. There were also reports of police being unfair or even rough with people.
The police even went into nearby areas to arrest people. This was for unpaid traffic tickets. People were very angry about the village and its police. There was even a website called "newromesucks.com." A car magazine called it "a little police state."
Eventually, the Ohio Department of Transportation said New Rome's speed limit was wrong. It did not follow state rules. In 2003, New Rome's police chief quit. The village's special court for minor offenses was also shut down by the state. This finally ended the speed trap.
Problems with Money and Rules
New Rome also had a long history of problems within its government. Some past officials were caught stealing money from the village. Others, including a past mayor, resigned. This happened after they misused village credit cards.
About $120,000 was stolen from New Rome over ten years. This was found by the Ohio State Auditor. The Auditor also said that the village's poor money records made it easy for stealing to continue. Records from the mayor's court were also destroyed or changed.
In 1996, New Rome received money from the government. This money was supposed to fight crime like burglaries. But it was used for traffic enforcement instead. In 2003, New Rome police lost access to a state database. This was because they misused it against a council member's rival.
Issues with Elections
New Rome had not held elections for its village council since 1979. It also did not hold elections for mayor between 1995 and 2002. During this time, the people in charge simply gave themselves their jobs again. They said that with so few residents, no one else wanted to run.
In 2002, a new mayor, Jamie Mueller, was elected. She wanted to make changes. But the council refused to accept her. They claimed the old mayor was still in charge. Most of the council members were related to the old mayor.
This argument grew into a question of who was legally on the council. None of the council members' appointments had been registered with the state. This was required by law. The county prosecutor then said that most of the appointments were not legal. But people without the legal right still claimed to be in village jobs.
How New Rome Was Dissolved
After more investigations, the Ohio Attorney General suggested New Rome should be dissolved. This means it should be officially closed down. Even though residents had voted against it in 2003, the state decided to act.
The Ohio General Assembly passed a new law. This law was mainly for New Rome. It allowed the state to close down a village if it had fewer than 150 people. This could happen if the State Auditor found it offered few public services. It also applied if there was a history of wrongdoing or bad management.
On December 1, 2003, the Attorney General filed a lawsuit to dissolve New Rome. The lawsuit said New Rome broke state election rules 23 times since 1988. It also failed to file a tax budget and did not provide at least two public services.
Village officials did not argue against these claims. Instead, they said the new law was against the Ohio Constitution. But the judge, David Cain, said the law was constitutional. He ruled in favor of the State of Ohio on July 30, 2004.
Judge Cain said that New Rome had basically dissolved itself. This was because of the officials' bad actions and lack of action. He said that when leaders let important jobs stay empty and cause problems, they give up their right to run a local government.
Judge Cain officially ordered New Rome to be dissolved on August 9, 2004. He also ordered that all unpaid traffic tickets be cleared. All driver's licenses suspended by the village were also restored. No one appealed the decision. On September 9, New Rome was officially absorbed into Prairie Township.
In 2018, a short film called The Fall of New Rome was made about the town's dissolution.
Geography
New Rome was a very small place. It had a total area of about 0.02 square miles (0.044 square kilometers). All of this area was land.
Population
In 2000, New Rome had 60 people living in 27 households. There were 14 families. Most of the people (98.33%) were White. A small number (1.67%) were Asian. About 5% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
About 30% of the people were under 18 years old. The average age was 34 years. The average household had 2.22 people. The average family had 3.00 people.
The average income for a household was $19,583. For a family, it was $17,500. About 18.5% of the population lived below the poverty line. This included 23.1% of those under 18.
Education
The schools in this area are part of the South-Western City School District.
