Ohio Rev. Code § 4951.02: Grant of right to construct.

The right to construct or extend a street railway within or beyond the limits of a municipal corporation may be granted only by its legislative authority by ordinance. The right to construct such street railway without the limits of a municipal corporation may be granted only by the board of county commissioners by an order entered on its journal. The legislative authority or the board may fix the conditions upon which such street railways may be constructed, operated, extended, and consolidated.