Findlay advances plan to curb township 'islands'

FINDLAY — Findlay may soon move to end years of legal fights over scattered township "islands" at the city's corporate limits. As proposed, a new annexation policy would create a half-mile buffer zone around the city, where properties wanting to connect to city utilities must agree to annex. If approved, the change would stop the "pockets" of unannexed land, which complicate fire response and development efforts. In a meeting held on June 25, Findlay City Council's Strategic Planning Committee recommended approval of the annexation policy and voted to send it to the Finance Committee for further review. Mayor Christina Muryn said the city has spent decades dealing with isolated township pockets inside city boundaries — areas that connected to water without signing annexation agreements — leaving Findlay with "random little pockets" that often cannot be annexed without a legal fight. She said the new buffer is designed to stop that pattern by requiring annexation agreements in areas where development pressure is highest. Outside the half-mile zone, properties could still connect to city water but would not be required to annex. Muryn said the approach gives townships access to utilities without forcing them to give up land, a concern she said has driven resistance to development in some areas. The committee's vote also advances a related revenue-sharing overhaul. Muryn said townships currently receive between 1.5 and 1.6 mills under existing agreements, but the city is proposing a standard 2-mill payment for all future annexations. Townships would also be able to choose whether revenue continues during tax abatements or begins only after abatements roll off, a change she said is meant to stabilize township budgets when land transitions from agricultural to commercial use. Muryn told the committee she has already presented the draft agreement to Allen Township, where trustees have discussed it at recent meetings. Liberty and Marion townships, which have existing revenue-sharing agreements, would be offered updated terms under the new model. The Strategic Planning Committee is chaired by Councilwoman Heather Kensinger, R-at-large, and includes council members Nichole Coleman, R-1; Brad Wagner, R-at-large; BJ Preston, R-2; and Carol Smith, R-3, along with Mayor Christina Muryn. Matt Cordonnier, of the Hancock Regional Planning Commission, and Auditor Jim Staschiak serve as ex-officio members.