ZONING

In 1947, the Ohio General Assembly passed enabling legislation that allowed townships to establish zoning. While the procedures and methods to create zoning are established by the Ohio General Assembly, the content of the local zoning regulation is at the discretion of township residents. Ohio law is designed to involve the public in the decision-making process. Township trustees are charged with hiring a zoning enforcement officer. The role of the township zoning enforcement officer, sometimes called the township zoning inspector, is to enforce the zoning code and map as it is currently adopted by the township trustees. Although the zoning enforcement officer’s main role is to enforce the zoning code, he or she must also develop work tools and a system that will allow him or her to deal with zoning issues in an orderly, efficient manner.