House Bill 113 Gets First Hearing in Columbus
Troy's State Representative Johnathan Newman is leading the charge for important change
This week, House Bill 113, sponsored by Representatives Adam Bird and our own Johnathan Newman, had its first hearing in front of the Ohio House of Representatives Local Government Committee. The legislation aims to reform Ohio's annexation laws, which have remained unchanged since 2001. The bill addresses concerns about overly aggressive annexation practices, particularly through Type II Expedited Annexation, which allows municipalities to annex land without sufficient input from county commissioners or townships.
In Representative Bird's district in Clermont County, a village is annexing land near an airport for high-density housing, despite opposition from the affected township, county commissioners, the airport, and the school district. This situation highlights the need for reform. The bill proposes several key changes: it allows county commissioners to stop annexations not in the county's best interest, enables local school districts to veto Community Reinvestment Areas (CRAs) if they cannot support new students, and requires municipal administrators to file financial disclosure statements.
In his testimony, Representative Newman added that the current annexation law has led to unbalanced development, favoring cities over townships. In our own local Bethel Township, annexations have resulted in overcrowded schools due to high-density housing. The bill seeks to give county commissioners a role in the annexation process, ensuring they can represent county interests.
The proposed reforms include reducing the maximum annexation area from 500 to 200 acres and increasing the contiguous boundary requirement from 5% to 20% of the perimeter. This aims to limit annexations and ensure they align with existing municipal boundaries. The bill also requires municipalities to provide all services generally available within their current borders to annexed territories, with townships having recourse if services are not provided by a set target date.
In addition to annexation reforms, the bill addresses ethics and CRAs. It mandates financial disclosure for city and village administrators, enhancing transparency. For CRAs, it extends school board approval requirements to residential projects, similar to commercial and industrial projects. This ensures that school districts are not unduly affected by tax exemptions.
The bill also addresses the transfer of school district territories following annexation. It requires the State Board of Education to transfer annexed territory to the school district primarily serving the municipal corporation. Students who were enrolled in the original district in the 9th grade or higher can re-enroll until they complete the 12th grade, ensuring educational continuity.
The sponsors emphasize that the bill is not about banning annexation but achieving balance. They argue that village councils should not dictate development futures over broader objections. Limiting annexation preserves rural control, tax bases, zoning powers, and decision-making authority.
Historically, Ohio's annexation laws were last updated in 2001 after decades of stagnation. The Ohio Township Association and the Ohio Municipal League collaborated on reforms to address overly aggressive annexation. Now, with Ohio's continued growth, there is growing evidence that further reforms are necessary to balance development needs with community protection.
The pair of legislators addressed a few questions that exposed some of the flaws in Ohio’s existing annexation laws. Representative Veronica Sims of Akron asked questions about public hearings on annexations and whether local governments have tried to implement policies at local levels to prevent these annexations. Both Representatives Bird and Newman pointed out that the current law doesn’t allow for robust public participation, nor are there mechanisms that allow for “local fixes”, that Representative Sims was referring to.
House Bill 113 is a landmark piece of legislation that seeks to address real issues facing our communities right here in our home county. This is a piece of legislation that our publication is committed to track and discuss as it goes through the legislative process. It is our hope our last word on House Bill 113 comes when it is presented to the Governor and he signs it into law.
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