In
1804, the elected officials of a township consisted of three trustees,
a clerk, overseers of the poor, supervisors
of highways, and justices of the peace. Registering brands for livestock
was one of the duties of the early Trustees. Townships have only those powers granted to them by the state legislature
and set forth on the Ohio Revised Code. As a result, townships cannot
pass their own laws. Township powers are different from those of
villages and cities, which are incorporated. Today, Township Trustees and Fiscal Officers are faced with many different
challenges, but the Township form of government still remains efficient
because of its small size and responsive because it offers more personal
service and more attention to individual needs.
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