Editing Ohio (section)

===Local government===
{{see also|List of counties in Ohio|List of municipalities in Ohio|List of townships in Ohio}}

There are also several levels of local government in Ohio: [[List of counties in Ohio|counties]], municipalities ([[List of cities in Ohio|cities]] and [[List of villages in Ohio|villages]]), [[List of townships in Ohio|townships]], special districts, and school districts.

Ohio is divided into 88 counties.<ref>{{citation|title=Individual State Descriptions: 2007|series=2007 Census of Governments|date=November 2012|page=235|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|url=http://www2.census.gov/govs/cog/isd_book.pdf|ref={{harvid|Census|2007}}|access-date=February 27, 2022|archive-date=November 23, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151123173109/http://www2.census.gov/govs/cog/isd_book.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> Ohio law defines a structure for county government, although they may adopt charters for home rule.{{sfn|Census|2007|p=235}}{{sfn|Putnam|Schaefgen|1997|pp=[https://archive.org/details/ohiolegalresearc0000putn/page/106 106]–114}} [[Summit County, Ohio|Summit County]]{{sfn|Census|2007|p=235}} and [[Cuyahoga County, Ohio|Cuyahoga County]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://council.cuyahogacounty.us/pdf_council/en-US/Legislation/Charter/2018/COUNTY%20CHARTER%20WITH%20EXECUTED%20CERTIFICATE%20PAGE%20AS%20OF%2011-6-2018.pdf |title=Charter |date=2018 |website=council.cuyahogacounty.us |access-date=July 17, 2019 |archive-date=January 19, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190119121224/http://council.cuyahogacounty.us/pdf_council/en-US/Legislation/Charter/2018/COUNTY%20CHARTER%20WITH%20EXECUTED%20CERTIFICATE%20PAGE%20AS%20OF%2011-6-2018.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> have chosen an alternate form of government. The other counties have a government with a three-member board of county commissioners,<ref>[[Ohio Revised Code]] § 305.01 ''et seq.''</ref> a sheriff,<ref>[[Ohio Revised Code]] § 311.01</ref> coroner,<ref>[[Ohio Revised Code]] § 313.01</ref> auditor,<ref>[[Ohio Revised Code]] § 319.01</ref> treasurer,<ref>[[Ohio Revised Code]] § 321.01</ref> clerk of the court of common pleas<ref>[[Ohio Revised Code]] § 2303.01</ref> prosecutor,<ref>[[Ohio Revised Code]] § 309.01</ref> engineer,<ref>[[Ohio Revised Code]] § 315.01</ref> and recorder.<ref>[[Ohio Revised Code]] § 317.01</ref>

There are two kinds of incorporated municipalities, 251 cities and 681 villages.{{sfn|Census|2007|p=235}}<ref name="Ohio Secretary of State">{{cite book |last=Ohio Secretary of State |title=The Ohio Municipal, Township and School Board Roster |url=http://www.sos.state.oh.us/SOS/publications.aspx#munros |access-date=February 27, 2022 |archive-date=July 19, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170719184750/http://www.sos.state.oh.us/SOS/publications.aspx#munros |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=DEC_10_PL_GCTPL1.ST13&prodType=table|title=American FactFinder - Results|publisher=U. S. Census Bureau|website=factfinder.census.gov|access-date=July 17, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171203070753/https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=DEC_10_PL_GCTPL1.ST13&prodType=table|archive-date=December 3, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> If a municipality has five thousand or more residents as of the last [[United States Census]] it is a city, otherwise it is a village.{{sfn|Census|2007|p=235}}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/703.01 |title=Ohio Revised Code Section 703.01(A) |access-date=September 12, 2007 |archive-date=July 18, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718075908/http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/703.01 |url-status=live}}</ref> Municipalities have full home rule powers, may adopt a charter, ordinances and resolutions for self-government.{{sfn|Putnam|Schaefgen|1997|pp=106-114}} Each municipality chooses its own form of government, but most have elected mayors and city councils or city commissions. City governments provide much more extensive services than county governments, such as police forces and paid (as opposed to volunteer) fire departments.

The entire area of the state is encompassed by townships.{{sfn|Census|2007|p=235}} When the boundaries of a township are coterminous with the boundaries of a city or village, the township ceases to exist as a separate government (called a [[paper township]]).{{sfn|Census|2007|p=235}} Townships are governed by a three-member board of township trustees.{{sfn|Census|2007|p=235}} Townships may have limited home rule powers.{{sfn|Putnam|Schaefgen|1997|pp=110-111}}

There are more than 600 city, local, and exempted village school districts providing K-12 education in Ohio, as well as about four dozen joint vocation school districts, which are separate from the K-12 districts. Each city school district, local school district, or exempted village school district is governed by an elected board of education.{{sfn|Census|2007|p=235}} A school district previously under state supervision (municipal school district) may be governed by a board whose members either are elected or appointed by the mayor of the municipality containing the greatest portion of the district's area.{{sfn|Census|2007|p=235}}