Faced with property value increases that the county says averaged 30%, local taxpayers are wondering when the hit will come.
Payment information is already available on the county auditor’s website. As has been its practice in the past, the county sends payment notices to taxpayers 30 days prior to the due date. County Treasurer John Kennedy said half-year payments are due Feb. 28, with notices set to go out on Jan. 27. Second half-year payments are due July 15.
To discover ahead of time what is owed for a specific property, visit the county auditor’s website, enter the target address, scroll down to “Tax History,” and hone in on “2024 Pay 2025.”
In 2024, the county collected just short of $254 million in real estate property taxes that were based on valuations in effect in 2023. The county also collected $1.5 million in mobile home property taxes, bringing the total to about $255 million.
Kennedy anticipates the county’s 2025 real estate property tax haul will be about $291 million, with another $2.5 million from mobile home property taxes. Total: about $294 million.
“The percentage increase from last year is 15%, which makes sense when you consider the average increase of property valuations done in 2024 was around 30%,” he said.
That’s because property taxes are calculated on assessed value, which is 35% of fair market value. Countywide, residents will see an average 15% to 16% property tax increase, at least as far as inside, or unvoted, millage is concerned, the auditor’s office concluded. The actual tax increase depends on the tax district in which a property exists.
Kennedy said he and county Auditor Matt Kelly are committed to lowering the tax burden for the county’s senior citizens, but must rely on state lawmakers to take action. He said he and Kelly have been working with Portage County state Representatives Steve Demetriou and Heidi Workman to create and introduce a bill that would amend the Homestead Exemption Act to double its property tax relief benefit to $50,000 per eligible household.
They are also seeking to significantly increase the $40,000 income threshold to qualify for homestead exemptions or, ideally, to do away with income requirements altogether.
For now, homeowners with a total household income of $40,000 or less are eligible to apply for a homestead exemption, though the amount of tax credit varies by the property’s taxing district.
Applicants must also:
- Own and occupy a home in Portage County as their principal place of residence as of Jan. 1 of the current tax year.
- Be at least 65 years old or will reach the age of 65 in 2025 OR be certified as totally and permanently disabled as of Jan. 1, 2025, regardless of age OR be the surviving spouse of a current Homestead participant, provided said surviving spouse was at least 59 years old on the date of their spouse’s demise.
Amending the Homestead Exemption Act should be the top priority in the Ohio state House and Senate this year, Kennedy said, adding that both he and the county auditor anticipate additional roundtables with senior citizens and the state reps and hope to testify at public hearings in Columbus.
To fund proposed amendments to the Homestead Exemption Act, Kennedy said lawmakers could tax marijuana sales, earmark proceeds from state lotteries or tap into Ohio’s multi-billion dollar rainy day fund.
“It’s raining in Ohio. Take care of our seniors,” Kennedy said.
Acknowledging there is no guarantee of success, “You don’t know unless you go, so why not be aspirational?” Kennedy asked. “We can find money for other things in Columbus. Why not take care of our seniors?”
Homestead Exemption applications are available at the auditor’s office, 449 S. Meridian St., Ravenna, 44266, and will be accepted through Dec. 31. The forms are also available online at www.portagecountyauditor.org. Follow the proper Homestead Exemption Form link: DTE 105I for disabled veterans and surviving spouses; DTE 105A for senior citizens, disabled persons and surviving spouses; or DTE 105K for surviving spouses of public officers killed in the line of duty.
Applicants must provide a current-year state tax return. Social Security or disability payments are not included in figuring total household income.
Veterans who are 100% service-related disabled are entitled to double credit. Veterans must provide a letter from the Veterans Administration Office verifying theirs is a service-related disability at 100%. The letter must include the determination date of the disability. Alternatively, veterans can provide a letter from the VA stating that they are unemployable due to disability. They must include a copy of their DD214 discharge papers.
It’s not too late to apply for a tax year 2023-24 exemption. Late applicants must prove a 2024 adjusted gross income per household of no more than $40,000, and a 2023 maximum gross income of $38,600, providing state income tax returns as verification. State return Line 3 is an easy way to check the amounts as that line does not include Social Security. Other pensions, such as STRS or OPERS, are counted in adjusted gross income.
Portage County residents who already receive the Homestead Exemption based on prior income do not need to reapply: they will remain on the program.
Wendy DiAlesandro is a former Record Publishing Co. reporter and contributing writer for The Portager.