Section 511.18. Petition to organize park district

(A) When any number of electors in a township, including the electors of all municipal corporations in the township, equal to or exceeding one-tenth of the total vote cast in the township at the most recent general election, files a petition with the board of township trustees for proceedings to organize a park district and to establish one or more public parks within the township, the board shall certify that fact to the court of common pleas of the county, which court, or a judge of the court, shall appoint a board of park commissioners for the township. However, if an entire park district is contained within the unincorporated area of the township, the board of township trustees, instead of the court of common pleas of the county, shall, regardless of when the park district was established, appoint the board of park commissioners, unless the board of township trustees, by unanimous vote, adopts a resolution authorizing the court of common pleas to appoint the board of park commissioners. For purposes of this division, an entire park district shall be considered to be contained within the unincorporated area of the township if the electors of the unincorporated area would be the only persons entitled to vote on a tax levy submitted under division (B) of section 511.27 of the Revised Code, regardless of where real property owned by the district is located.

If the board of township trustees adopts a resolution described in this division, the court, or a judge of the court, shall appoint the board of park commissioners. If, at any time after the adoption of that resolution, the board of township trustees wishes to rescind the resolution and again assume the authority provided under this division to appoint the board of park commissioners, it may adopt a resolution, by unanimous vote, rescinding the previous resolution and its authorization for the court of common pleas to appoint the board of park commissioners. After the adoption of a rescinding resolution, the board of township trustees shall appoint the board of park commissioners.

(B) Regardless of when a township park district was established, at least seventy-five per cent of the acreage owned by a township park district shall be located within the boundaries of the township, unless the township has ceased to exist since the establishment of the park district.

Effective Date: 09-21-2000