PHOTO BY BRENNA WHITE / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
CEMETERY DISCUSSION … Tim Nofziger and Road Supervisor Dustin Bailey discuss landscaping maintenance for Rings Cemetery along State Route 127 at the June 22 Brady Township trustees meeting.
By: Brenna White
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
brenna@thevillagereporter.com
The Brady Township Trustees met June 22, 2026 to pass a resolution for fire protection levy renewal, and approve an application for a $5 permissive license plate tax.
Chairman Will Grime, Jim Eisel, Tim Nofziger, and Fiscal Officer Chrystal Maneval were in attendance.
One of the evening’s key actions was the approval of a resolution of necessity for a 0.50-mill fire protection levy renewal.
This does not create a new tax for the township, but renews an existing levy used to fund fire protection services.
The resolution requests certification from the Williams County Auditor and if approved, will be placed on the November 3, 2026, ballot.
If passed by voters, the five-year levy would continue as normal to generate funding for fire protection. It was estimated that the levy brings in around $11,400 annually.
Trustees also approved a resolution establishing a $5 annual motor vehicle license tax, also known as a permissive license plate tax.
Under Ohio law, townships may levy up to $5 per registered vehicle to generate revenue for road and transportation-related purposes.
For Brady Township residents, this only applies to those who live outside an incorporated municipality, such as the Village of West Unity. The additional fee will be added to annual vehicle registration renewals beginning January 1, 2027.
Trustees noted the last time a license plate tax was approved was in 1989. Two public hearings were held previously in the month of June with no public opposition.
The board also approved annual tax rates and amounts as certified by the Williams County Budget Commission.
This is a routine yearly process in which the county certifies the tax rates and expected revenue each local government is authorized to collect.
Additionally, the Budget Commission will hold a tax rate hearing on August 3, 2026, in the Auditor’s Office, located in the Williams County Courthouse. This is for the purpose of answering any questions regarding tax rates.
In other business, trustees approved the payment of bills and accepted the minutes from the June 8, 2026, regular meeting, as well as the public hearings held on June 15 and June 17, 2026.
A $2,500 donation was accepted from the Sons of the American Legion for Rings Cemetery.
The trustees discussed landscape maintenance for the cemetery, including a potential rock wall to line a steep hill along SR 127. Due to the steepness of the hill, it is difficult to mow. Nofziger will look into more mowing efforts before any purchases are made.
With no further business, the meeting adjourned at 7:45 p.m. The next Brady Township meeting is scheduled for July 7, 2026, at 7 p.m.
