Can townships in the Mahoning Valley become cities?

If a township is large enough, it can become a city; however, it first needs about 20% of the people who voted in the last governor's election to sign a petition. After that, the township must certify that it meets the required square mileage and population density. 

According to Ohio Revised Code Section 707.29, a township must have a minimum population of 25,000 residents to be designated as a city. If a township does not meet this population requirement, it must either become a village first or merge with another township to achieve village status.

Boardman Township Administrator, Jason Loree, said that transitioning from a township to a city takes a lot of time and money. 

"We [would] have to certify that we have enough square miles, enough population per square mile, check to see the if city's name is not already registered somewhere and a have clear map that pinpoints all all locations," Loree said, adding, "Then that would go to the county commissioners who would then have to review and then allow it to be on a ballot under a special election." 

Transitioning from a township to a city has its advantages, such as improved services and additional revenue streams. However, townships like Boardman have not yet made this change. The main hurdle is the need to invest additional funds in legal teams to prepare the necessary materials.

"While it is a possibility, [the process] requires a significant amount of time and money[...] and if the state is really interested in trying to fix the solution right now, one of the options that they could impose would be to let townships collect an income tax," Loree said. 

Another alternative is annexation, which involves merging with an adjacent city.

This option comes with logistical challenges, such as determining who will provide police and fire services, managing the water supply, and considering whether the city council needs to expand to represent the new residents.  Those details would require agreement among the involved parties.

With the current push to eliminate property taxes, Loree stated that if that proposal passes, the transition period will likely not be smooth.

"Even if on day one, the vote takes place, it passes, to start the process for the incorporation to a village or city is going to take a little bit more than a year. So, a lot of people are going to be left in the lurch, and there's going to be a lot of services that are just not going to have funds. ?So, I don't know how you overcome that without the state stepping in and changing some of the processes," Loree said.

According to CensusReporter.org, the population of Boardman Township is 39,935, while Austintown Township has a population of 35,821.