Jackson Township Elected Officials
David Burris has served as township trustee since January 1998. Burris serves as the board’s liaison to the township administration office. His goals for the township are to strengthen the bonds with the City of Grove City, and improve training and policies for township employees. He is employed with Eagle Research Group as a computer support facility manager having previously retired as a firefighter/paramedic with Franklin Township after 27 years. He is an active member of the Franklin County Township Association, Ohio Township Association, Grove City Area Republican Club, Franklin County Fire Fighters Association, Ohio Professional Fire Fighters Association, International Association of Fire Fighters and Volunteer Fire Fighters Benevolence Fund.
Burris and his wife Jody, who have been residents of Jackson Township since 1978, are active members of the Grove City Church of the Nazarene and have three children and four grandchildren.
Ron McClure was elected in November 2019, he serves as the board’s liaison to the road department. McClure is a lifelong Jackson Township resident and graduate of Grove City High School. He has more than 38 years of experience in public administration and currently is employed by the Big Walnut Local School District as Director of Administrative Services.
McClure is committed to conscientious and effective leadership; efficient and effective government; continued excellent fire and emergency medical services; maintaining roads and parks; and advocating for fiscal responsibility.
Ron and his wife Camelia are active members of the Grove City Church of the Nazarene and have four married children and nine grandchildren.
Jim Rauck was elected to serve as a Township Trustee in November 2011. Rauck serves as the board’s liaison to the fire department.
Rauck has been a resident of Jackson Township for more than 40 years and is a graduate of Grove City High School. He received a bachelor’s degree from The Ohio State University and was an instructor for the Ohio Youth Commission before pursuing a successful career as a business owner as the founder of Rock’s Trailer Sales Inc., a business located in Jackson Township that he established in 1980. In November 2021, Rauck was elected to a two-year term as the Franklin County Township Association’s appointee to the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio Board of Trustees.
He is an active member of the Grove City United Methodist Church, he has two sons, one daughter-in-law and two granddaughters.
Ron Grossman was elected to the position of Jackson Township fiscal officer in November 2011. He received a bachelor of science degree in business administration and finance from Franklin University. He served 38 years with Columbus Southern Electric Co. and American Electric Power in various positions. Grossman has an extensive financial background in sales and revenue forecasting; budgeting and planning; cash management and treasury operations roles; and was coordinator of cash forecasting, compliance reporting and short-term borrowing and investing.
He retired in 2011 from AEP. He is married to Cheryl Grossman, previous mayor of Grove City and Ohio Representative for the 23rd District of the Ohio House of Representatives, and has two children, son and daughter-in-law Justin and Emily Grossman, and son Josh Grossman as well as one grandson. A lifelong resident of Jackson Township, he was past president and secretary of the Grove City Area Republican Club, past president of the Grove City High School Success Through Academic Recognition Club and a past member of the Grove City Kiwanis Club.
Overview & Duties
Township’s in Ohio are political subdivisions of the state and were the first form of local governments created in Ohio. Today, there are 1,308 Townships in Ohio. Since the adoption of the Ohio Constitution in 1851, the basic form of township government has remained unchanged.
While township trustees fill their offices on a part-time basis, they are always ready to meet their responsibilities face-to-face and are able to deal effectively with modern problems because of their intimate knowledge of the community, its needs and its people. Township government in Ohio generally offers more personal service, more attention to individual needs and a better understanding of local problems than any other unit of government.
The duties of the trustees, fiscal officer and administrator are proscribed in Chapter 5 of the Ohio Revised Code. Trustees have both limited legislative functions as well as executive functions while the fiscal officer has responsibilities for financial functions. Township trustees are elected to four-year terms commencing on January 1st following the November elections.
Township Roads: The responsibility to provide and maintain township roads is the largest function of most of Ohio’s townships and includes paving, repairs, snow removal and weed controls. Townships in Ohio receive a small portion of the states motor vehicle license fees as well as gasoline taxes to help fund the maintenance costs of roads. Townships in Ohio maintain more than 39,000 miles of roads and streets.
Police Protection: A board of trustees has the authority to employ police constables and to create police districts.
Fire Protection: Township fire departments can be staffed with full-time, part-time or volunteer firefighters, or any combination of all three. Ohio law permits townships and municipalities to contract with each other for mutual fire protection and to create fire districts.
Cemeteries: Townships in Ohio manage more than 1,800 cemeteries. Township trustees have authority to sell plots, set fees for services, maintain and expand the cemetery. Private cemeteries owned by religious or cemetery associations may be transferred to the township.
Parks & Recreation: Townships may establish and operate parks on their own or by joint action with another political subdivision. Townships may purchase land and material to improve or acquire park and recreational lands. A township park district may also be established as a separate political subdivision with its own taxing authority.
Zoning: Townships may regulate the use of land and buildings and control the development of their own territory.
Waste Disposal: Townships are authorized to provide waste disposal services to their residents.
Personnel: Township trustees can appoint and hire employees as necessary to execute the duties and functions of the township and provide for wages and benefits for such employees.
Fiscal officer duties include the management of all financial records, accounts and transactions as well as paying all bills, issuing checks and payroll. A fiscal officer is an independently elected public official with separate duties from the trustees and is elected to a four-year term commencing April 1 after the November election.
As described in Ohio Revised Code 505.032, the township administrator shall, under the direction of the board of township trustees: assist in the administration, enforcement and execution of the policies and resolutions of the board.
- Supervise and direct the activities of the affairs of the divisions of township government under the control or jurisdiction of the board.
- Attend all meetings of the board at which the administrator’s attendance is required.
- Recommend measures for adoption to the board.
- Prepare and submit to the board such reports as are required by the board, or considered advisable by the administrator.
- Keep the board fully advised on the financial conditions of the township, preparing and submitting a budget for the next fiscal year.
- Perform such additional duties as the board may determine by resolution.