There are over thirteen (13) separate lighting districts in the township and each were established on different dates as per petitions brought forward to trustees by the residents.

The trustees established these districts as dictated and permitted by the Ohio Revised Code (ORC).

The residents that signed their neighborhood-specific petition have agreed/authorized the township to assess each property owner's tax record, each year, for the cost of electricity, the maintenance of each light & pole, the wiring that feeds each pole, the replacement lights for technology upgrades, damages caused by vandalism and un-insured car accidents; as well as any new lights requested by each district to be installed.

All of these listed costs are combined & are assessed equally to every lighting district member/property owner.

The assessments are permitted to be done by the township on a quarterly, semi-annual, or annual basis. The total expense for the year is tallied and then assessed to each district member.

The fiscal office is responsible for submitting accurate assessments to the Montgomery County Auditor, requesting that these assessments be placed on each tax record of each property as identified in the trash district record.

The county auditor is responsible for performing this assessment, accurately collecting the revenue received for assessed property, removing a service fee for providing such service, and remitting the net revenue to the township.

The township fiscal officer, upon receipt of this revenue, will deposit this revenue in a separately identified "Enterprise Fund" named "Lighting District".

The vendors for the street light maintenance will be paid ONLY from this lighting district fund. These include electric supplier, repair vendors, and service companies.

The net revenue, after vendors are paid, must remain in this enterprise fund.

The township reserves the right to include a district management fee in the assessments to district members/property owners.

These districts were established as "All-In" districts, meaning district members are not permitted to "opt out" of a district.

These districts only apply to certain areas of the township and does NOT include all of the township. Due to the fact that these districts do not provide service to all residents and that each property owner voluntarily joined these districts when they were formed. General fund revenue, nor any other revenue, is to be used to pay the expenses of each district.

Assessments each year to the property owners' tax records are not fixed, and based on variable costs listed above. The township is responsible for passing 100% of the expense of operating such districts to the taxpayer and not permitted to be a burden to all property owners of the township.

For more information, please contact:

Jefferson Township Administration Offices at