Local Administrative Law, Part 1: Breaking Down Zoning

In Ohio, political subdivisions such as cities, villages, and townships often contain their own internal departments. Some entities have a single officer that handles the entirety of the concern, appointed by Council or the Mayor, and answerable only to them. Others, usually our bigger cities, have entire departments dedicated to a specialized area, with heads, dozens of employees, and their own internal policies and procedures. Regardless of the setup, these subdivisions of subdivisions are known as “administrative officers and agencies”, and they have very specific rules governing their operation. Generally speaking, most of these officers and agencies are governed by what...