HUBBARD TOWNSHIP — The township’s fiscal officer expressed confusion as trustees voted on a policy that would make her in charge of computer systems, servers and networks.

Trustees at Tuesday’s meeting voted 2-1 to adopt a new cybersecurity policy, which Trustee Monica Baker said was adopted from the Ohio Township Association’s draft, which was in a newsletter trustees received.

The resolution comes on the heels of the state’s General Assembly passing legislation that included Ohio Revised Code 9.64, which mandated Ohio political subdivisions to adopt a cybersecurity program by Sept. 30.

Baker said the implementation and training requirements for the program are to happen no later than July 30, 2026.

Trustee Bill Colletta expressed concerns with the resolution, as the law went into effect Sept. 6, meaning that if there’s ever a breach, officials have to report it to the state’s attorney general within 24 hours.

Colletta said the policies didn’t have to be completed until June, which is why he suggested tabling it until November — but Baker said it had to be approved by Sept. 30, a deadline the township missed.

Colletta said the policy made it to officials at the meeting, and not earlier, because he had asked Baker to look into requirements further.

Baker confirmed that through the policy’s language, the fiscal officer would serve as the township’s information technology administrator if it didn’t have a township administrator.

“So across the board, all the townships are making their financial person also their IT person? No matter the size of the township?” Fiscal Officer Jennifer Evans said. “I’m just being honest, I’m not IT illiterate, but I’m also not an IT administrator. I don’t recommend that.”

Baker said Patrick Wilson, the township’s attorney, reviewed the policy, which is why she didn’t mention “pending a final review imputable by Hubbard Township legal counsel.”

Trustee Jason Tedrow was the “no” vote, explaining that he didn’t have a chance to fully read the policy.

“We will need to discuss this tomorrow, because I’m not on board with this at all. I do things that I can handle and I can look into and can understand,” Evans said. “This being thrown into me at 5:06 p.m. tonight for a 6:00 meeting, and now I’m going to be the IT administrator — that’s not OK with me.”

Baker said it was only for the policy, but Evans reiterated that the policy said it was her responsibility and that trustees had just approved it.

Colletta said Friday that officials have had conversations after the meeting.

“We’re going to make a change on that to also include the trustees; we’re going to have a motion on the resolution to amend it,” Colletta said. “And then make a change to include the fiscal officer and the best subject matter person available.”

By “best subject matter person,” Colletta said officials could appoint a trustee with a technological background to fill the IT administrator role at the township’s next reorganization meeting.