Ohio local government websites

• Townships cover the state outside the areas where a township is coterminous with a city or village. Each is governed by a board of township trustees, with an elected fiscal officer. (U.S. Census Bureau (opens in a new tab); Ohio Township Association (opens in a new tab))
• A township with 15,000 or more people is called an urban township, and some townships adopt limited home rule by petition and referendum. (U.S. Census Bureau (opens in a new tab))
• Counties are run by a board of county commissioners, or a county council in a charter county. Common special districts include conservancy, library, park and soil and water conservation districts. (U.S. Census Bureau (opens in a new tab))

One adopted notice policy says outright that posting meetings to the website is how the body meets its reasonable-method rule (example policy (opens in a new tab)). The City of Kettering's summary (opens in a new tab) of the Act describes the same rule-based approach. Check what your own rule says before changing how notices go out.

• Special meetings need at least 24 hours' advance notice to news media that have asked for it. In an emergency, those media are told immediately. (R.C. 121.22 (opens in a new tab))
• The rule must let anyone who pays a reasonable fee get advance notice of meetings on a particular type of business, for example by a mailed agenda. (R.C. 121.22 (opens in a new tab))
• Minutes must be prepared promptly and kept open to inspection. The statute sets no deadline in days and no online posting rule. (R.C. 121.22 (opens in a new tab))
• A member must be present in person to count toward a quorum or vote, and the section doesn't require streaming or posted recordings. (R.C. 121.22 (opens in a new tab))

Posting records online has a concrete payoff in Ohio. An office that keeps records on a website that is "fully accessible to and searchable by members of the public at all times" may limit digital delivery to 10 records a month per requester. Records that aren't on the site, and requesters who certify non-commercial use, are exceptions (R.C. 149.43(B)(7) (opens in a new tab)).

• There's no fixed number of days to respond. Records must be "promptly prepared," and copies provided at cost within a reasonable period. (R.C. 149.43 (opens in a new tab))
• A denial has to explain why, including the legal authority. The office may require the cost of copies in advance. (R.C. 149.43 (opens in a new tab))
• For most records, the only cost is the paper or digital medium, according to the ACLU of Ohio. (ACLU of Ohio (opens in a new tab))
• Elected officials, or their designees, must attend public records training approved by the Attorney General. (R.C. 149.43 (opens in a new tab))
• H.B. 314, which would limit some records requests and let contractors respond, had passed the House and was in a Senate committee as of October 2026. (Ohio House (opens in a new tab))

• When a township uses its own website or social media, "the township fiscal officer shall cause proof of the publication to be created, and maintain the proof." (R.C. 504.121 (opens in a new tab))
• For cities and villages, the clerk also posts a copy of the text at the clerk's office and any other places the legislative authority designates. (R.C. 731.21 (opens in a new tab))
• The official public notice website is run by an Ohio trade association representing most newspapers of general circulation, and newspapers post required notices there too. (R.C. 125.182 (opens in a new tab))
• Where a law calls for more than one newspaper publication, a later one may be abbreviated if the full notice is on the official public notice website. (R.C. 7.16 (opens in a new tab))
• H.B. 331 set a government rate for local governments' newspaper notices. (Ohio General Assembly (opens in a new tab))

Newspaper groups have tracked the shift closely (National Newspaper Association (opens in a new tab)). For staff, the practical point is simple: if the website is now the place of publication, it needs dated, findable notices and a record of when each one went up.

• A ransom can be paid only if the legislative authority approves it by a resolution or ordinance stating why payment is in the subdivision's best interest. (R.C. 9.64 (opens in a new tab))
• Program records and incident reports are not public records. (R.C. 9.64 (opens in a new tab))
• The Auditor says "All political subdivisions in Ohio are covered," including very small ones. (Ohio Auditor of State (opens in a new tab))

The statute doesn't name websites, but your public site, its hosting and its vendors are information technology resources too. List them in your program and ask your vendors how they report incidents. Spending transparency is voluntary by comparison: local governments can join OhioCheckbook.gov (opens in a new tab) as partners, and no statute requires it. (R.C. 9.64 (opens in a new tab))

Small offices dominate that second column: 402 Ohio municipalities and 244 townships have fewer than 1,000 people. The Census size groups use estimates, while the rule and the Auditor point to 2020 Census population, so if you're near 50,000, check your own figure. (U.S. Census Bureau (opens in a new tab); Ohio Auditor of State (opens in a new tab))

On April 20, 2026 the Auditor of State sent every client an advisory on the rule (opens in a new tab). It notes the rule reaches third-party tools, "such as a third-party application used by a state or political subdivision for the payment of tickets or fees," and recommends talking with statutory legal counsel. DOJ's August 2026 regulatory agenda says it is considering more rulemaking. (Federal Register (opens in a new tab))

Ohio has no separate accessibility law for local websites. State policy IT-09 covers state-controlled sites and apps, and R.C. 125.18 (opens in a new tab) defines "state agency" without political subdivisions. See our ADA Title II deadlines guide for exemptions. (Ohio.gov (opens in a new tab))

• Ohio Township Association (opens in a new tab) for trustees and fiscal officers.
• Ohio Municipal League (opens in a new tab) for cities and villages, and the Ohio Municipal Clerks Association (opens in a new tab) for municipal clerks.
• County Commissioners Association of Ohio (opens in a new tab) for the 88 counties.
• The Ohio Auditor of State (opens in a new tab), whose cybersecurity and accessibility advisories go to every client. (Ohio Auditor of State (opens in a new tab))

The OTA's service corporation also launched a township website program (opens in a new tab) with Shumaker Technology Group in January 2026. It's one option among several, and townships can weigh it against others under their own purchasing rules.

• To use DAS contracts, a county, township, municipality or other listed subdivision files a certified ordinance or resolution with DAS, which may charge a reasonable administrative fee. (R.C. 125.04 (opens in a new tab))
• The DAS exemption from competitive selection ends once the subdivision has received bids, unless the DAS price is lower on the same terms. (R.C. 125.04 (opens in a new tab))
• The City of Avon (opens in a new tab) and the Village of McDonald (opens in a new tab) are examples of Ohio municipalities that joined Sourcewell.
• A 2019 Attorney General opinion found R.C. 9.48 can't be used for construction services. That limit doesn't touch website work, but it shows the statute has edges. (Bricker Graydon (opens in a new tab))