Licking County Citizens Alliance — Heath Hills defeated, August 2026
In Ohio, a neighboring city can annex land inside your school district, approve hundreds of new homes, and keep the tax revenue while your schools absorb the students and the cost. It nearly buried Granville. We are tracking the fix in Columbus and holding legislators to it.
Stopping one development does not fix the law that allowed it. Two bills in Columbus would close the loophole between city annexation and school-district boundaries. We are tracking both and pushing for hearings.
Ohio Senate · Sens. Tim Schaffer (R-Lancaster) & Andrew Brenner (R-Delaware)
When a city annexes land, the school-district boundary would follow the annexing city, so the city that gains the tax base also takes on the students. Drafted with Granville Schools.
Where it stands
Introduced April 2025. Stuck in Senate committee with no hearing in over a year.
Our ask: Demand a committee hearing.
Read the bill at the Ohio LegislatureOhio House · Reps. Adam Bird (R) & Johnathan Newman (R)
Annexations would have to serve the "general good," and county commissioners would be required to reject those that do not. School districts also get a say over new residential tax exemptions.
Where it stands
Three committee hearings in 2025. Backed by school boards, townships, and the Farm Bureau; opposed by developers, cities, and the Municipal League. Still in committee.
Our ask: Keep it moving toward a floor vote.
Read the bill at the Ohio LegislatureFour times in a generation, city expansion has pushed development into the Granville school district. The pattern will not stop until the law changes.
Newark annexes 281 acres of Granville Township on River Road. Granville village and township fight it and lose a four-year battle at the Ohio Supreme Court. A 361-home subdivision is built.
Newark annexes 80 more acres of Granville Township, south of Park Trails, for another development.
A developer proposes 322 homes and up to 180 apartments on River Road, inside the Granville school district. A 900-signature petition and a packed hearing force the developer to withdraw in March 2021.
Heath annexes ~212 acres inside the Granville school district and M/I Homes proposes 500-plus homes. The community pushes back, M/I Homes withdraws on July 31, and Heath Council votes unanimously on August 3 to deny it.
The Licking County Citizens Alliance is a nonpartisan civic organization formed by residents, parents, and taxpayers who are committed to responsible development and protecting the quality of our public schools. We believe that growth is not inherently bad — but growth without accountability, fiscal analysis, or community consent is. We are your neighbors, and we are asking you to stand with us.
Board and volunteer leadership bios are being added as we grow.
Volunteer With UsWe’re a new organization and still building out our tools — for now, the best way to reach us is directly by email.
The developers withdrew, but the loophole is still open. Fill in the form below and we will send your message to the right lawmakers in one step. Prefer to call or write? Their details are underneath.
“Please give Senate Bill 173 a hearing. When a city annexes land in a neighboring school district, the students and the cost should not fall on a district that gets none of the tax base. SB 173 fixes that.”
“Please support House Bill 113. Annexation should have to serve the general good, and school districts deserve a voice before city growth overwhelms them.”
Ohio Senate, District 20 (Lancaster)
Lead sponsor, SB 173
Ohio Senate, District 19 (Delaware)
Co-sponsor, SB 173
Ohio House, District 63 (Cincinnati)
Lead sponsor, HB 113
Ohio House, District 80 (Troy)
Co-sponsor, HB 113
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