Abstract
Recent decades, marked by steady population growth, have seen the evolution of a distinctly urban nation. The multiplicity of local governments within metropolitan areas has raised serious questions about the efficiency and equity of fragmented government organizations. Critics argue that the existence of multiple local governments in metropolitan areas leads to an inequitable allocation of public goods and services, inefficient patterns of area land use and development, and counterproductive competition for new fiscal resources and territorial autonomy. Moreover, the urbanized landscape poses problems of community leadership. And sadly, municipal annexation in Ohio has fallen far short of its potential to be a viable solution to the State's urban problems. This note will examine the statutory scheme for annexation in Ohio, analyze the policy reasons underlying the statute, and review how the statute and its application have inhibited its usefulness in servicing the needs of Ohio's urban areas. Finally, the note will advocate the implementation of alternative dispute resolution methods as a means of increasing the potential utility of annexation under Ohio's current annexation statute.
Recommended Citation
Note, Municipal Annexation in Ohio: Putting an End to the Bitter Battle, 41 Clev. St. L. Rev. 345 (1993)