The village of Barnhill could dissolve after election day.
There is a measure on the ballot – Issue 11 – for the 400 or so village residents asking if Barnhill should surrender its corporate power. If it passes, Tuscarawas County Prosecutor Scott Deedrick says Barnhill would likely be absorbed by Goshen Township, and the county would take over village maintenance.
County officials say Barnhill hasn’t had a mayor or any public officials for over a year. They say there is nobody authorized to appoint new officials, pay the bills, cash property tax checks or access the city’s bank accounts. Residents say their roads are falling apart, and they’re worried about another winter without snow removal services. Deedrick called it a bad situation that he hadn’t seen before.
Residents at a meeting in July began collecting signatures to put the measure on the ballot. They only needed 23 people to sign.
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