Section 504.15. Law director of township

(A) Unless the board of township trustees acts as authorized by division (B) of this section, in each township that adopts the limited self-government form of township government, the board of township trustees shall appoint a full-time or part-time township law director, who shall be an attorney licensed to practice law in this state. The board of township trustees shall set the salary of the township law director. The township law director shall be the legal advisor to the board of township trustees, the township administrator, and all other township officers, and any of them may require written opinions or instructions from the township law director in matters connected with their official duties. Subject to division (E) of section 503.52 of the Revised Code, the township law director shall prosecute and defend all suits and actions that any such officer or board directs or to which an officer or board is a party, and the township law director shall prosecute any violation of a township resolution, as provided in this chapter. The township law director shall review all resolutions as to form prior to their introduction by a township trustee. Additional legal counsel may be employed as provided in division (B) of section 309.09 of the Revised Code.

(B) The board of township trustees may enter into a contract with the prosecuting attorney of the county to have the prosecuting attorney serve as the township law director, with the consent of the board of county commissioners.

(C) Nothing in this section confers any of the powers or duties of a prosecuting attorney under section 309.08 of the Revised Code upon a township law director.

(D) Nothing in this section limits or affects the operation of division (E) of section 503.52 of the Revised Code.

Effective Date: 11-06-1996; 08-17-2006