The District celebrated its forty fifth anniversary in 2015. Established in 1970, the District is located in the eastern portion of Warren Township in Tuscarawas County, the western portions of Monroe and Orange Townships, and southern parts of Harrison and Rose Townships in Carroll County, Ohio. The District currently has a combined land area of 22 square miles and serves an average population of 3,550 persons. Its primary duty is to abate pollution of the waters of the state within the District’s territory. The District receives its revenues only from fees for services and receives no tax revenues. Fifty commercial entities (4%) of the 1,254 active accounts provide thirty five percent of the District’s user charge revenues.
An appointed board of eight trustees governs the District. Trustees have a fiduciary duty to act in the interests of the beneficiaries of the District’s water resource projects. The Board employs a Superintendent and Secretary-Treasurer with other staff members. Policy and legislative authority is vested in the Board of Trustees pursuant to Chapter 6119 of the Ohio Revised Code. The board is responsible, among other things, for adopting rules and regulations, adopting a budget and financial plan, hiring the District’s Superintendent, and employing legal counsel, engineering services, and other consultants. The Superintendent is responsible for the operation and maintenance of the District’s facilities; administration of the District’s rules, regulations, and policies; together with hiring and supervision of District employees. The Secretary-Treasurer is responsible for office administration, fiscal matters, customer accounts and official records management. Board members are appointed by user entities established in the District’s organizational scheme. Board members serve for staggered three year terms.
The District struggles with a recessionary economic environment and continued unemployment. The region consists of recreation focused residential communities around Atwood Lake, together with the Villages of Dellroy, Sherrodsville and New Cumberland. The rural community engages in hospitality and agricultural enterprises. The community is closely associated with Dover-New Philadelphia, Carrollton, and Canton employment and shopping facilities. The Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District (MWCD) together with the United States Army Corps of Engineers provides for recreation and flood control activities in the area.
The District and surrounding counties have suffered from the recent economic recession across all principal industries. However, business and employment opportunities continue limited growth due to the reduction of oil and gas exploration and development.
