about us   public entities     municipalities     townships     self-insured programs     claim administration     downloads   risk management   commercial insurance   personal insurance   contact us   home DID YOU KNOW? Senate Bill 80, Ohio's newest crack at overall tort reform was signed into law by Governor Taft and will be effective Ma...                          >> more CLIENT LOGIN username password public entities - municipalities     We are involved in the risk management programs of over 160 Ohio Municipalities, and hundreds of Townships. Municipalities comprise the majority of Wichert public entity services, however hundreds of Townships (see "Townships" section) are served in one way or another as well... What is a Municipality? In Ohio, a municipality is a City or Village. A municipality is an incorporated entity, and remains a Village until the population reaches 5000, at which point it will become a City. The organizational structure of Municpalites run the gamut from pure statutory forms of government (operating solely with the powers granted by Ohio Statute - no Home Rule), to Home Rule cities with various Charters helping guide them beyond the more simple Statutory structure. Of the 214 Cities, and 700 Villages in Ohio, 238 are Charter forms of government. Ohio also has many City Manager forms of government, where a formal Manager runs the day-to-day affairs of the municipality. A municipality is governed by a Mayor (either stong or weak) and a City or Village Council, generally consisting of five or seven individuals who elect a President of Council to preside over meetings.