Canton Township seeks limited home rule. Here's what could change

CANTON TWP. – Limited home rule will be on the ballot in Canton Township.

The issue will come before voters in November. If granted, Canton Township trustees will have more local governance power.

Trustee Keith Hochadel said the change will allow township officials to have more control over yard waste, transient vendors and animals, among other things.

"We're looking to operate a lot more efficiently and address the needs of our community," he said. "It gives us the ability to make some certain decisions based on local need, rather than leaving those decisions up to the state to control."

Hochadel said the township has been considering establishing limited home rule for a while, but potential state legislation that would eliminate statutory townships' zoning power motivated the trustees to act now. Townships with limited home rule wouldn't be affected by the legislation.

"There was some concern that townships that did not have home rule, maybe they would be abolishing some of the zoning," he said. "While that legislation appears to have slowed, maybe stalled, it was enough to get our attention because we believe the ability to zone within our township is essential to growth."

Heidi Fought, executive director of the Ohio Township Association, said the state has yet to move forward with the legislation.

"Just because there's no bill in place right now doesn't mean it wouldn't come up next year," she said. "Townships are right to be proactive to try to keep whatever authority they currently have."

There are currently 34 townships in the state with limited home rule, according to what has been reported to the Ohio Township Association. In Stark County, Jackson, Perry and Plain have limited home rule.

What is limited home rule?

Limited home rule gives townships increased authority within unincorporated areas of the township.

"Limited is a key word in that phrase," Fought said. "Townships that have home rule, they can do things that statutory townships can't do, but within reason."

For example, limited home rule townships cannot create new taxes, impose criminal penalties, establish subdivision regulations or exercise any power in conflict with state laws.

Ohio townships with home rule have enacted drainage, erosion and sediment control, access management regulations and littering fines.

Jackson Township Trustee Todd Hawke said having limited home rule makes it more efficient to govern locally.

"You have the ability to create resolutions that non-home rule townships just can't do. They just have to follow the statute exactly as it reads," Hawke said. "It gives you the ability to be more responsive to your residents."

With home rule, Jackson Township has its own police force, is able to regulate garbage collection and can issue citations, among other things.

If limited home rule passes in Canton Township, the government structure will remain mostly the same. The township will continue to operate with three elected trustees and a fiscal officer and all resolutions still must be considered at a public trustees meeting.

How would Canton Township take advantage of limited home rule?

With limited home rule, Canton Township could establish its own police force, but Hochadel said there are no plans to do so. The Stark County Sheriff's Office currently acts as the township's police force under a contract. He said having home rule would strengthen that relationship.

"We would be expanding that somewhat," Hochadel said. "We'd have more of a presence than what we have now."

The township, which has more than 12,000 residents, would also have the ability to issue citations and fine violators of local rules.

For example, the township currently requires door-to-door salesmen to register and acquire a transient vendor license, but there is little they can do to enforce the rule.

"We can tell them they need a transient vendor license and we can have the sheriff come and dissuade them from doing things, but there's no ability to issue violations," Hochadel said.

He said having home rule would allow the township to better address concerns of residents.

"This is a response not only to some of the things that we see, but also some of the questions that the community has had as well," Hochadel said. "Sometimes there are requests of us to do things that [we can't do]. We can send the sheriff out to have a conversation with people but oftentimes our hands are tied. This will give us an opportunity moving forward and we'll see what happens."

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Canton Township seeks limited home rule. Here's what could change