By Ryan Berry

DailyAdvocate.com

GREENVILLE — Have you received your notice on the increase in your property taxes? You are probably wondering why they went up. This may not be a consolation for property owners, but it is not a Darke County only issue. Forty-one counties across the state are looking at their tax bills and thinking the same thing. Over the next couple of years, the remaining property owners in the other 47 counties will also be looking at their tax bills and gasping.

According to Commissioner Matt Aultman, state law mandates a county to reevaluate the value of properties every six years and there is also a midterm “sales data” reevaluation on the third year. The current reevaluation is the six-year reevaluation. He said, “There is no sudden value increase, the state looks at a required value increase/decrease by area to determine each area’s corresponding increase/decrease value.”

The county pointed out that every parcel was viewed in person to confirm the property characteristics on the auditor’s data (property card) matched what exists at the time of the view. All property types, homes, businesses, land, etc., were updated in this reappraisal.

Some properties may have seen a smaller increase than others because the values are different in every taxing district, but every area in the county will see an increase in value.

Some of what is driving the increase is the steep incline in the recent cost to purchase a home. If your neighbors sold their home for a lot more than what the value of your home is listed at, you could be paying the price.

According to Aultman, “As for the percent of change, we cannot give you a hard value as it is different in every taxing district and different based upon sales and other determining factors. As a whole, the current county estimated increase average is 29% as determined by Shelly Wilson and staff at the Ohio Department of Taxation after the county submits their values.”

There may be some help on the horizon, but it isn’t guaranteed. Aultman said House Bill 187 is working its way through the Ohio Legislature that could change the reappraisal. “If passed they would do a reevaluation based on the previous three years versus the one-year look back that was used by the Ohio Department of Taxation this time. The Senate is to take this up when they return to session in November, so until this passes or movement happens, we are set with current values. If it passes, the 41 counties in reevaluation years would have to go back and refigure all the properties and then new values would be assigned, and taxes based off these values. If this happens it could be the middle of 2024 until taxes get mailed out and the taxing entities would receive property tax monies to operate off of. This would create a dynamic we have not seen in this state, ever,” said Aultman.

The 2023 reevaluation is billed in 2024.

Voters may question whether or not to vote for a levy because of the increased value of their property. However, levies that are listed as renewals will not see an increase in taxes. They are billed at the valuation of the property when the levy was approved. A replacement levy would see an increase in taxes because it is taxed on the current valuation. New levies are also taxed on the current valuation.

To contact Daily Advocate Editor Ryan Berry, email [email protected].