This is part three of our four-part series on revaluations in Portage County. Read part one, two, and four.
The Portager is publishing a series of articles about the revaluation process. This article focuses on the reactions of city, village and township officials, many of whom hope voters will continue to approve renewal, replacement and/or additional tax levies.
The statewide sexennial property revaluation caused some Portage County residents to see their property values increase by more than 60%. Countywide, the average was about 32%, Portage County Auditor Matt Kelly said.
Though higher property values do translate to higher property taxes, it is not a direct correlation. According to the county auditor’s office, 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 (as we explained in part two).
State law allows political subdivisions to collect up to 10 mills without voter approval, one mill being equal to $1,000 of assessed value. Locally, 2 mills go to the county, anywhere from 3.8 to 6.5 mills goes to the local school district, and anywhere from 1.3 to 4.2 mills goes to the township, village or city general fund. The total inside millage for any taxing district can approach or equal 10, but cannot exceed it.
Increased property taxes means more money for local governments and government agencies, but local leaders say it isn’t not enough. Political subdivisions across Portage County are asking voters to approve tax levies, some of which will raise taxes and some of which won’t.
Some definitions:
According to the auditor’s office, renewal tax levies don’t raise taxes; they only renew current levies to continue the same revenue stream the recipient has been receiving. Homeowners don’t pay more, and the recipients don’t get more.
Replacement tax levies replace existing levies so that the effective rate of the levy reverts back to the voted rate. Usually property owners end up paying more. Replacement levies are also calculated on the latest valuations, which in this case would also mean a tax increase.
Additional tax levies do just that: increase taxes. Such new requests are based on current home valuations, which, as it turns out, have already increased. The bills come due early next year.
Often, those levies are for fire/EMS services. State law requires cities to provide fire and emergency medical services, but townships and villages are only required to provide fire protection. In November, residents of six townships and the Village of Hiram will face at least one levy to fund fire and/or emergency medical services.
Township levies
Franklin Township is asking its residents to support a 3.5-mill replacement/additional levy meant to generate $726,000 annually for five years. The district’s current 3.42-mill levy generates about $644,000 annually, said township Fiscal Officer Lisé Russell.
The township contracts with the City of Kent for fire and emergency services and pays a per-call fee every time 911 is dispatched, she explained.
“Over the last decade, the cost of providing fire and EMS services has absolutely skyrocketed,” Russell said. “When I took office in 2012, Franklin Township was paying in the neighborhood of $550,000 per year to the City of Kent. Last year, we paid in excess of $800,000.”
Call volume, lack of access to health care for more and more people, and wage increases and overhead for fire departments all mean increased costs, she said.
“If this replacement with an increase does not pass, starting next year, we will not be receiving any money towards fire and EMS services,” Russell said. “We would have to drastically change our budget. We would have to talk about providing fire only, and rework our contract with the City of Kent so they would only answer fire and not EMS calls. People could just have to call for a private ambulance and hope there’s one close.”
Knowing that people are anticipating higher property taxes, Russell said residents should urge their legislators to fix Ohio’s property tax structure.
The major culprit, she said, is school funding, which the Ohio Supreme Court ruled unconstitutional decades ago.
“Legislators need to ease the burden that taxpayers have in getting the services that they deserve,” Russell said. “Our residents are accustomed to receiving the level of services that they have for decades. The only way to pay for that is levies and outside millage. There are no increases coming from the state, so local governments are left to pick up the increases.”
Village of Hiram
The Village of Hiram has a 2-mill replacement tax levy on the November ballot. Earmarked for the village’s EMS service, it is intended to raise $21,000 annually for five years. If approved, it will cost property owners $70 per $100,000 of valuation.
Especially in light of the revaluations, Hiram Mayor Anne Haynam understands how tough levies are on people’s budgets, but she believes supporting school, fire and EMS levies are moments of civic duty.
“Do we value these services and what they provide for us?” she asked. “When we talk about fire and EMS, those are services that we sure hope we don’t need to call upon. But when we do, we’re thankful they are right in our backyard.”
Other levy asks
Levies aren’t just for fire and EMS. Residents in Hiram and Suffield townships will be asked to approve road and bridge levies, and Kent voters will be asked to fund a renewal levy for current expenses.
If Suffield voters reject a 1-mill renewal levy intended to collect $147,000 annually for five years, Trustee Jeff Eldreth said the township won’t be able to maintain the miles of roads it normally does.
As a renewal levy, voter approval will not raise property owners’ taxes beyond what they are already paying. However, it will not provide more funds than it has been.
“Our costs have gone up exponentially compared to what we’re asking for,” Eldreth said. “We could have asked for more, but we didn’t.”
City of Kent voters will be asked to approve a 1.16-mill renewal levy to fund current operating expenses. At $22 per $100,000 of valuation, the Portage County auditor estimates approval will continue to add $340,000 annually to city coffers.
Costs for snow plowing and leaf and brush collection have increased, but the city is not asking for additional dollars beyond what voters have already approved, Council Member Jeff Clapper said.
Anticipating that city voters will continue to fund the services to which they have become accustomed, Clapper could not say what failure at the polls would mean.
“I know that for some people it’s a struggle. But if you take money away from the city budget, you can’t spend money that you don’t have,” he said.
Portage County Job and Family Services
Portage County Job and Family Services has a 1.24-mill replacement tax levy on the November ballot. The levy combines a .49-mill levy first approved in 1960 with a .75-mill levy voters approved in November 1995. If approved, the county auditor’s office estimates the levy would generate almost $5.74 million annually for five years and would cost property owners an additional $43 per $100,000 of valuation.
Proceeds from the levy would fund the care, placement and treatment of abused, neglected and dependent children, JFS Director Kellijo Jeffries said.
“I understand the challenges,” she said. “It takes a village to protect kids from child abuse and neglect. It would be my sincere hope that taxpayers recognize what value they’ve placed on kids and how they’ve helped us to keep them safe,” she said.
Correction: This article original reported that Lisé Russell took office in 2021. She took office in 2012.
Wendy DiAlesandro is a former Record Publishing Co. reporter and contributing writer for The Portager.