This is part one of our four-part series on revaluations in Portage County. Read parts two, three and four.
Every property owner in Ohio got one: a letter from the county auditor’s office saying what their properties are now worth.
The Portager is publishing a series of four stories detailing how the valuations affect homeowners, as well as schools, cities, villages and townships. This first article presents the facts about the revaluation process.
Since property values directly impact property taxes, some residents are reeling at unexpected bills. In Portage County, where the average property valuation increased by 33%, the average tax burden will increase by about half that, Portage County Auditor Matthew Kelly 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. A property owner in Suffield Township is paying on different renewal, replacement and/or additional tax levies than are property owners in Aurora, Kelly noted.
Why now? State law requires the auditor’s office to digitally analyze local home sales every three years and adjust property values accordingly and to conduct in-person valuations every six years. The recent letters Portage County residents received were the sexennial, or six-year, revaluations.
To arrive at fair revaluation figures, Kelly’s office turned to Integrity Appraisal, a Mahoning County firm that he said has extensive knowledge of Portage County. The appraisers look at each property’s property card, which details the number and kinds of rooms, stories, outbuildings, acreage and the like.
They examined previous appraisals, sales of comparable properties in the area and physically looked at each property. Most times the “look” was a simple drive-by, Kelly said.
“The whole goal of what they’re going out to do is get a fair market value of the property,” Kelly said. “They know the market well enough to arrive at a fair valuation. That data is sent to the Department of Taxation in Columbus for review and calculation. The results of that are the increased values homeowners saw on the recent letter from the auditor’s office.”
The auditor’s office invited people to schedule informal hearings so they could dispute their valuations, but all the slots quickly filled. Kelly said people are welcome to meet with the county Board of Revision from Jan. 2 through March 31. People may complete an online application for a Board of Revision hearing or may visit the auditor’s office to obtain a paper application.
People must pay their property taxes even if they are disputing their revaluations. Kelly advised people to either pay for a private appraisal or ask a trusted Realtor for a realistic listing price.
The answer could be surprising. Kelly said most Realtors he has contacted have said the county appraisals are actually low.
He also advised people to review their property cards — readily available on the auditor’s website — for accuracy and to review comparable sales in the area.
If this all seems like too little too late, Kelly agrees. But unless they are faced with massive and sustained effort by Ohio taxpayers, state lawmakers are unlikely to change Ohio’s tax structure. Doing nothing guarantees a repeat of this situation in three years: Portage County is due for its triennial reappraisal in 2027.
Wendy DiAlesandro is a former Record Publishing Co. reporter and contributing writer for The Portager.