Defiance County Home Page

With the exception of Summit County, all Ohio counties have three county commissioners: Two are elected at the time of the presidential election and one is elected at the time of the gubernatorial election.  The county commissioner elected at the gubernatorial election takes office on January 1, and the two elected at the presidential election take office on January 2 and 3.  Candidates for these two commissioner positions must file for either the January 2 or 3 position.

The Board of County Commissioners is the policy making and legislative body of this county.  It is the County government's taxing, budgeting, appropriating and purchasing authority and holds title to County property.  The Board is also responsible for hearing and ruling on annexations, approving drainage improvements through the petition ditch process, and making improvements and providing for solid waste disposal.

Individual Commissioners have no power to act independently.  The Board of County Commissioners acting as a body by majority or unanimous vote must take all formal and official actions.

The organizational meeting of the Board of County Commissioners (ORC 305.05) occurs on the second Monday of January each year, when they must organize, elect a president and appoint a clerk.  The Commissioners must hold at least 50 regular meetings per year (ORC 305.06) and as many special meetings as necessary to conduct their business.  The salaries of commissioners are established by state law based on population.

§ 305.05 Organization; election of president.

Text of Statute
The board of county commissioners shall organize on the second Monday of January of each year, by the election of one of its members as president for a term of one year.  The member so elected shall preside at all regular and special sessions of the board.  If the position of president becomes vacant during the year, the board shall select on of its members to preside.

HISTORY: RS § 848;  70 v 35; 89 v 220; 92 v 10; GC § 2400; 111 v 18; Bureau of Code Revision,
10-1-53; 134 v S 322, Eff 2-25-72.



§ 305.06 Regular Sessions.

Text of Statute
(A) The board of county commissioners shall conduct at least fifty regular sessions each year, at an office provided for the board in the county seat or at another location as provided in division (B) of this section.  Each of these sessions shall be conducted at a specific time fixed in advance.  At each meeting the board shall transact such business as it considers necessary or as required by law.

(B) The board of county commissioners may provide by resolution for the holding of any or all regular sessions of the boards at a location in the county other than the office provided for the board in the county seat.  The adoption of the resolution and the location where the session or sessions will be held shall be entered on the journal of the board.  The board shall give reasonable public notice of its action taken pursuant to this division, in accordance with division (F) of section 121.22 of the Revised Code. 

HISTORY: RS § 846;  S&C 245;  51 v 422, § 8;  GC § 2401;  Bureau of Code Revision, 10-1-53; 131 v 190 (Eff 9-1-65);  138 v H 146 (Eff 6-20-80);