Lighting Districts

Residents often call the Township, seeking information on how to get street lights in their neighborhood or on their streets. The reasons for the request may vary and could be related to aesthetics, safety, or other resident needs. Ultimately, state law outlines the process by which street lights can be added in your neighborhood. 

For more information on the state law for lighting districts, please consult Ohio Revised Code (ORC) Section 515 (https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/chapter-515).

Process to Establish a Lighting District

*Please note, the costs associated with the installation, maintenance, and electricity are paid for by the residents in the lighting district, per state law.*

  1.  Contact the Township with your request for a lighting district at 513-385-7500
    1. The Township will need to know the number of street lights, location of the lights (pole numbers are preferred), and if any specialty lighting or poles are requested. 
  2. The Township will then draft a map that shows the lighting district boundaries, as defined by the ORC. 
  3. The Township will then develop petitions and notify the requester that they are ready for pick up.
  4. The requester will then need to gain approval, via signature on the petition, from over 50% of the property owners in the proposed district. Please note, the over 50% figure refers to the length of property frontage in the district, not a simple number of property owners. For example, if a proposed district has 1,000 feet of length and one property has a boundary of 501 feet, then that property owner will be required to sign the petition for the lighting district process to move forward.
  5. The requester will then deliver the petitions to the Township. 
  6. The Fiscal Officer and Township Law Director will review and certify that all of the petitions are accurate.
  7. The Board of Trustees will then set a public hearing on the proposed lighting district for an upcoming Board of Trustees meeting.
  8. The Board will listen to resident testimony at the public hearing and consider a resolution to establish the district, including the special assessment to pass along the cost.
  9. If the resolution is adopted, the Township will then contract to have the lights installed and will send the property information to Auditor for future tax assessments. 

What is a Special Assessment

Special assessments are placed on your real estate tax bill and are related to a specific project that directly benefits your property. Special assessments may include, but are not limited to, items such as:

  • stormwater improvements
  • infrastructure improvements (such as street paving, curb repair/replacement, sidewalks, and sewer or water lines)
  • nuisance abatements (such as noxious weed, litter or trash removal, or building board-up costs)
  • lighting districts


Current Lighting Districts

For questions regarding any current lighting districts or assessments, please call 513-385-7500. The Township has dozens of existing lighting districts.

If you see a street light that is currently out or not functioning properly, please call Duke Energy at 513-421-9500.