6-13-2024 10:50pm

Mathews, Young Bill to Encourage Village Services Transparency Passes House

Beth Callahan Editor

Adam Mathews represents the 56th Ohio House District, which encompasses a southwestern portion and central Warren County including Lebanon, South Lebanon, and Mason.

LEBANON, OH – State Reps. Adam Mathews (R-Lebanon) and Tom Young (R-Washington Twp.) announce House Bill 331, legislation to ensure villages are providing proper services for their residents and field candidates for their elected offices, passed the Ohio House Wednesday.

The bill will create an automatic process for village dissolution following each decennial census. Additionally, following the census, county budget commissions will audit each village located in their counties to determine the status on village services and elected offices.

Failure of these conducted audits will automatically place a question of dissolution on the ballot for the next general election.

“Villages are important and have a real duty to their citizens,” Mathews said. “This bill ensures our voters have control to keep our local governments accountable.”

“It’s important that we enact this type of process in our state that will make sure that our villages are delivering good government for Ohioans,” Young said.

The legislation will now head to the Senate for further consideration.