(B) A township that
has adopted a limited home rule | 24 |
government under
Chapter 504. of the Revised Code shall not incur | 25 |
net
indebtedness that exceeds an amount equal to ten and one-half | 26 |
per cent of its tax valuation, or incur without a vote of the | 27 |
electors net indebtedness that exceeds an amount equal to five
and | 28 |
one-half per cent of that tax valuation. In calculating the
net | 29 |
indebtedness of a township that has adopted a limited home
rule | 30 |
government, none of the following securities shall be
considered: | 31 |
(2) Securities issued for the purpose of purchasing, | 33 |
constructing, improving, or extending water or sanitary or
surface | 34 |
and storm water sewerage systems or facilities, or a
combination | 35 |
of those systems or facilities, to the extent that
an agreement | 36 |
entered into with another subdivision requires the
other | 37 |
subdivision to pay to the township amounts equivalent to
debt | 38 |
charges on the securities; | 39 |
(5) Securities issued for the purpose of acquiring or | 45 |
constructing roads, highways, bridges, or viaducts, or for the | 46 |
purpose of acquiring or making other highway permanent | 47 |
improvements, to the extent that the resolution of the board of | 48 |
township
trustees authorizing the issuance of the securities | 49 |
includes a covenant
to appropriate from money distributed to the | 50 |
township under
Chapter 4501., 4503.,
4504., or 5735. of the | 51 |
Revised Code a sufficient amount to
cover debt charges on and | 52 |
financing costs relating to the
securities as they become due; | 53 |
(B) For any purpose for which a board of township trustees, | 65 |
or a board of trustees of a joint township police district, a | 66 |
township fire district, a joint fire district, or a fire and | 67 |
ambulance district is authorized to acquire real or personal | 68 |
property, that board may enter into a lease-purchase agreement in | 69 |
accordance with this section to acquire the property. The board's | 70 |
resolution authorizing the lease-purchase agreement may provide | 71 |
for the issuance of certificates of participation or other | 72 |
evidences of fractionalized interests in the lease-purchase | 73 |
agreement, for the purpose of financing, or refinancing or | 74 |
refunding, any public obligation that financed or refinanced the | 75 |
acquisition of the property. Sections 9.94 and 133.03 of the | 76 |
Revised Code shall apply to any such fractionalized interests. | 77 |
The lease-purchase agreement shall provide for a series of | 78 |
terms in which no term extends beyond the end of the fiscal year | 79 |
of the township or district in which that term commences. In | 80 |
total, the terms provided for in the agreement shall be for not | 81 |
more than the useful life of the real or personal property that is | 82 |
the subject of the agreement. A property's useful life shall be | 83 |
determined either by the maximum number of installment payments | 84 |
permitted under the statute that authorizes the board to acquire | 85 |
the property or, if there is no such provision, by the maximum | 86 |
number of years to maturity provided for the issuance of bonds in | 87 |
division (B) of section 133.20 of the Revised Code for that | 88 |
property. If the useful life cannot be determined under either of | 89 |
those statutes, then the useful life shall be estimated as | 90 |
provided in division (C) of section 133.20 of the Revised Code. | 91 |
The lease-purchase agreement shall provide that at the end of | 92 |
the final term in the agreement, if all obligations of the | 93 |
township or district have been satisfied, the title to the leased | 94 |
property shall vest in the township or district executing the | 95 |
lease-purchase agreement, if that title has not vested in the | 96 |
township or district before or during the lease terms; except that | 97 |
the lease-purchase agreement may require the township or district | 98 |
to pay an additional lump sum payment as a condition of obtaining | 99 |
that title. | 100 |
Sec. 505.37. (A) The board of township trustees may | 114 |
establish all necessary rules to guard against the occurrence of | 115 |
fires and to protect the property and lives of the citizens | 116 |
against damage and accidents, and may, with the approval of the | 117 |
specifications by the prosecuting attorney or, if the township has | 118 |
adopted
limited home rule government under
chapterChapter 504,. | 119 |
of the
Revised Code, with the
approval of the
specifications by | 120 |
the
township's law director, purchase, lease, lease with an option | 121 |
to purchase, or otherwise
provide any fire
apparatus, mechanical | 122 |
resuscitators, or other
equipment,
appliances, materials, fire | 123 |
hydrants, and water supply
for
fire-fighting purposes that seems | 124 |
advisable to the board.
The
board shall provide for the care and | 125 |
maintenance of fire
equipment, and, for these purposes, may | 126 |
purchase, lease, lease with an option to purchase, or
construct | 127 |
and maintain necessary buildings, and it may establish
and | 128 |
maintain lines of fire-alarm communications within the limits
of | 129 |
the township. The board may employ one or more persons to
maintain | 130 |
and operate fire-fighting equipment, or it may enter
into
an | 131 |
agreement with a volunteer fire company for the use and
operation | 132 |
of fire-fighting equipment. The board may compensate
the members | 133 |
of a volunteer fire company on any basis and in any
amount that it | 134 |
considers equitable. | 135 |
(B) The boards of township trustees of any two or more | 136 |
townships, or the legislative authorities of any two or more | 137 |
political subdivisions, or any combination thereof, may, through | 138 |
joint action, unite in the joint purchase, lease, lease with an | 139 |
option to purchase, maintenance, use, and
operation of | 140 |
fire-fighting equipment, or for any other purpose
designated in | 141 |
sections 505.37 to 505.42 of the Revised Code, and
may prorate the | 142 |
expense of the joint action on any terms that are
mutually agreed | 143 |
upon. | 144 |
(C) The board of township trustees of any township may, by | 145 |
resolution, whenever it is expedient and necessary to guard | 146 |
against the occurrence of fires or to protect the property and | 147 |
lives of the citizens against damages resulting from their | 148 |
occurrence, create a fire district of any portions of the
township | 149 |
that it considers necessary. The board may purchase, lease, lease | 150 |
with an option to purchase, or
otherwise
provide any fire | 151 |
apparatus, appliances, materials, fire
hydrants,
and water supply | 152 |
for fire-fighting purposes, or may
contract for
the fire | 153 |
protection for the fire district as
provided in section
9.60 of | 154 |
the Revised Code. The fire district
so created shall be
given a | 155 |
separate name by which it shall be
known. | 156 |
The board of trustees shall certify each resolution adopted | 187 |
under division (C)(2) of this section to the board of elections
in | 188 |
accordance with section 5705.19 of the Revised Code. The
election | 189 |
required under division (C)(3) of this section shall be
held, | 190 |
canvassed, and certified in the manner provided for the
submission | 191 |
of tax levies under section 5705.25 of the Revised
Code, except | 192 |
that the question appearing on the ballot shall
read: | 193 |
If the question is approved by at least a majority of the | 201 |
electors voting on it, the joinder shall be effective as of the | 202 |
first day of July of the year following approval, and on that | 203 |
date, the township fire district tax shall be extended to the | 204 |
taxable property within the territory that has been added. If
the | 205 |
territory that has been added is a municipal corporation and
if it | 206 |
had adopted a tax levy for fire purposes, the levy is
terminated | 207 |
on the effective date of the joinder. | 208 |
Any municipal corporation may withdraw from a township fire | 209 |
district created under division (C) of this section by the | 210 |
adoption by the municipal legislative authority of a resolution
or | 211 |
ordinance ordering withdrawal. On the first day of July of
the | 212 |
year following the adoption of the resolution or ordinance of | 213 |
withdrawal, the municipal corporation withdrawing ceases to be a | 214 |
part of the district, and the power of the fire
district to levy
a | 215 |
tax upon taxable property in the withdrawing municipal
corporation | 216 |
terminates, except that the fire district shall
continue to levy | 217 |
and collect taxes for the payment of
indebtedness within the | 218 |
territory of the fire district as it was
composed at the time the | 219 |
indebtedness was incurred. | 220 |
Upon the withdrawal of any municipal corporation from a | 221 |
township fire district created under division (C) of this
section, | 222 |
the county auditor shall ascertain, apportion, and order
a | 223 |
division of the funds on hand, moneys and taxes in the process
of | 224 |
collection except for taxes levied for the payment of | 225 |
indebtedness, credits, and real and personal property, either in | 226 |
money or in kind, on the basis of the valuation of the respective | 227 |
tax duplicates of the withdrawing municipal corporation and the | 228 |
remaining territory of the fire district. | 229 |
A board of township trustees may remove unincorporated | 230 |
territory of the township from the fire district upon the
adoption | 231 |
of a resolution authorizing the removal. On the first
day of July | 232 |
of the year following the adoption of the
resolution, the | 233 |
unincorporated township territory described in
the resolution | 234 |
ceases to be a part of the district,
and the power
of the fire | 235 |
district to levy a tax upon taxable property in that
territory | 236 |
terminates, except that the fire district shall
continue to levy | 237 |
and collect taxes for the payment of
indebtedness within the | 238 |
territory of the fire district as it was
composed at the time the | 239 |
indebtedness was incurred. | 240 |
(D) The board of township trustees of any township, the
board | 241 |
of fire district trustees of a fire district created under
section | 242 |
505.371 of the Revised Code, or the legislative authority
of any | 243 |
municipal corporation may purchase, lease, or lease with an option | 244 |
to purchase the necessary
fire-fighting equipment, buildings, and | 245 |
sites for the township,
fire district, or municipal corporation | 246 |
and issue securities for
that purpose
with maximum
maturities as | 247 |
provided in section 133.20
of the Revised
Code. The board of | 248 |
township trustees, board of
fire district trustees, or legislative | 249 |
authority may also
construct any buildings necessary to house | 250 |
fire-fighting
equipment
and
issue securities for that purpose with | 251 |
maximum maturities as
provided in
section 133.20 of the Revised | 252 |
Code. The | 253 |
The board of
township trustees, board of fire district | 254 |
trustees,
or legislative
authority may issue the securities of the | 255 |
township,
fire district,
or municipal corporation, signed by the | 256 |
board or
designated
officer of the municipal corporation and | 257 |
attested by
the signature
of the township, fire district, or | 258 |
municipal clerk,
covering any
deferred payments and payable at the | 259 |
times
provided, which
securities shall bear interest not to
exceed | 260 |
the rate
determined
as provided in section 9.95 of the Revised | 261 |
Code, and
shall not be
subject to Chapter 133. of the Revised | 262 |
Code. The
legislation
authorizing the issuance of the securities | 263 |
shall provide
for
levying and collecting annually by taxation, | 264 |
amounts
sufficient to
pay the interest on and principal of the | 265 |
securities. The
securities shall be
offered for sale on the open | 266 |
market or given
to the vendor or contractor if no sale is made. | 267 |
(E) A board of township trustees of any township or a
board | 271 |
of fire district trustees of a fire district created under
section | 272 |
505.371 of the Revised Code may purchase a policy or
policies of | 273 |
liability insurance for the officers, employees, and
appointees of | 274 |
the fire department, fire district, or joint fire
district | 275 |
governed by the board that includes personal injury
liability | 276 |
coverage as to the civil liability of those
officers,
employees, | 277 |
and appointees for false arrest, detention, or
imprisonment, | 278 |
malicious prosecution, libel, slander, defamation
or other | 279 |
violation of the right of privacy, wrongful entry or
eviction, or | 280 |
other invasion of the right of private occupancy,
arising out of | 281 |
the performance of their duties. | 282 |
When a board of township trustees cannot, by deed of gift
or | 283 |
by purchase and upon terms it considers reasonable, procure
land | 284 |
for a township fire station that is needed in order to
respond in | 285 |
reasonable time to a fire or medical emergency, the
board may | 286 |
appropriate land for that purpose under sections
163.01 to 163.22 | 287 |
of the Revised Code. If it is necessary to
acquire additional | 288 |
adjacent land for enlarging or improving the
fire station, the | 289 |
board may purchase, appropriate, or accept a
deed of gift for the | 290 |
land for these purposes. | 291 |
A board of township trustees, by adoption of an appropriate | 295 |
resolution, may choose to have the Ohio ambulance licensing board | 296 |
license any emergency medical service organization it operates. If | 297 |
the board
adopts such a resolution, Chapter 4766. of the Revised | 298 |
Code,
except for
sections 4766.06 and 4766.99 of the Revised Code, | 299 |
applies to the organization.
All rules adopted under the | 300 |
applicable sections of that chapter also apply
to the | 301 |
organization. A board of township
trustees, by adoption of an | 302 |
appropriate resolution, may remove
its emergency medical service | 303 |
organization from the jurisdiction
of the Ohio ambulance licensing | 304 |
board. | 305 |
Sec. 505.50. The board of township trustees may purchase, | 306 |
lease, lease with an option to purchase, or
otherwise acquire any | 307 |
police apparatus, equipment, including a
public communications | 308 |
system, or materials that the township
police district requires | 309 |
and may build, purchase, lease, or lease with an option to | 310 |
purchase any
building or buildings and site of the building or | 311 |
buildings that
are necessary for the operations of the district. | 312 |
The boards of trustees of any two or more contiguous | 313 |
townships, may, by joint agreement, unite in the joint purchase, | 314 |
lease, lease with an option to purchase,
maintenance, use, and | 315 |
operation of police equipment, for any
other police purpose | 316 |
designated in sections 505.48 to 505.55 of
the Revised Code, and | 317 |
to prorate the expense of suchthat joint action
on such terms as | 318 |
are mutually agreed upon by the trustees in each
affected | 319 |
township. | 320 |
The board of trustees of any township may enter into a | 321 |
contract with one or more townships, a municipal corporation, a | 322 |
park district created pursuant to section 511.18 or 1545.01 of
the | 323 |
Revised Code, or the county sheriff upon any terms that are | 324 |
mutually agreed upon for the provision of police protection | 325 |
services or additional police protection services either on a | 326 |
regular basis or for additional protection in times of emergency. | 327 |
The contract shall be agreed to in each instance by the
respective | 328 |
board or boards of township trustees, the board of county | 329 |
commissioners, the board of park commissioners, or the
legislative | 330 |
authority of the municipal corporation involved.
SuchThe contract | 331 |
may provide for a fixed annual charge to be paid at
the time | 332 |
agreed upon in the contract. | 333 |
Chapter 2744. of the Revised Code, insofar as it is | 334 |
applicable to the operation of police departments, applies to the | 335 |
contracting political subdivisions and police department members | 336 |
when suchthe members are serving outside their own political | 337 |
subdivision
pursuant to such a contract. Police department members | 338 |
acting
outside the political subdivision in which they are | 339 |
employed may
participate in any pension or indemnity fund | 340 |
established by their
employer and are entitled to all the rights | 341 |
and benefits of
Chapter 4123. of the Revised Code, to the same | 342 |
extent as while
performing services within the political | 343 |
subdivision. | 344 |
(1) Construct telegraph or telephone lines upon and along any | 348 |
of the public roads and highways and across any waters within that | 349 |
area by the erection of the necessary fixtures, including posts, | 350 |
piers, or abutments for sustaining the cords or wires of those | 351 |
lines. Those lines shall be constructed so as not to incommode the | 352 |
public in the use of the roads or highways, or endanger or | 353 |
injuriously interrupt the navigation of the waters. | 354 |
Sec. 5549.021. (A) A board of township trustees may
purchase | 365 |
machinery, tools, trucks, and other equipment for use
in | 366 |
constructing, maintaining, and repairing roads and, subject
to | 367 |
Chapter 133. of the
Revised
Code, may issue for that purpose | 368 |
general
obligation bonds of the township for which the full faith | 369 |
and
credit of the township shall be pledged. | 370 |
(B) A board of township trustees may enter into a lease for | 371 |
machinery, tools, trucks, and other equipment for use in | 372 |
constructing, maintaining, and repairing roads, including a lease | 373 |
with an option to purchase. Any lease with an option to purchase | 374 |
shall require the board to pay a cash down payment of at least | 375 |
three-twentieths of the total cost. If the board sells used | 376 |
equipment as part of a lease with option to purchase,
the cash | 377 |
down payment may be reduced by the amount of the selling
price of | 378 |
the used equipment. A lease with an option to purchase
may be | 379 |
entered into only with the lowest responsive and
responsible | 380 |
bidder of the equipment after advertising for bids in
the manner | 381 |
provided in section 5575.01 of the Revised Code. | 382 |