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LISBON -- Columbiana County property owners now have until Oct. 2 to pay their second-half real estate tax bills, with the bills expected to be mailed out two weeks from this coming Monday, in mid-August.
Columbiana County Commissioner Bryan A. Blakeman and county Auditor Nancy Gause Milliken received notification on Friday from the Ohio Department of Taxation that the extension of time requested by Blakeman for an Oct. 2 payment deadline had been approved by the state tax commissioner.
"I apologize for any inconvenience," Blakeman said. "It is completely 100% out of my office's control."
The second-half tax bills were originally due July 29, but because of changes put into effect by the state legislature through House Bill 186, which was passed in March and created a tax credit for qualifying property owners, more time was needed to make the calculations and prepare the tax duplicate.
The due date had been extended to Aug. 21, but even more time was needed to make the calculations, with another extension requested to make the due date Oct. 2.
"We are very pleased that we've had the cooperation of the county treasurer and the general public for us to get everything adjusted according to the new house bill so the tax bills can be sent out," Milliken said.
The county auditor's office had to wait for the state to complete implementation of the House Bill 186 Inflation Cap Credit before they could make their calculations for the tax bills.
According to a previous press release issued by Blakeman, House Bill 186 created a tax credit designed to help offset significant increases in property taxes caused by inflation-related increases in property values by providing qualifying property owners with a state-funded credit on their tax bills. Before counties could calculate and mail tax bills, the state was required to determine and distribute the necessary credit information for eligible parcels.
Blakeman said it's unfortunate because the state was trying to do something, but by requiring the credit be instituted for the second half, that didn't leave a lot time to adjust the numbers.
"My staff has been very diligent in helping to get through this," Milliken said. "This was not the fault of the auditor or the treasurer. We were just abiding by the new legislation that was put in effect."
Blakeman said the credit doesn't apply to new construction, which had to be figured individually.
"We've been working with the computer company to fix other problems plus the new construction and the file will get sent this weekend," Milliken said.
The file is the tax information for every parcel in the county. The auditor's office makes the calculations, sends the file to the treasurer's office, then the treasurer's office sends the information to the printer to set up the bills, have the treasurer's office review and give approval, then print them, stuff them in envelopes and mail them out. The whole process from submitting the file to the printer to the printer mailing them out takes 10 to 12 days.
Blakeman said his office will get the file Monday and send it to the printer immediately. His office can't print any bills until receiving the file and receiving confirmation from the state of Ohio on whether the latest extension was granted, which it was.
Milliken said the system had to be changed to make sure people got the credit, referring to the programming.
"Every parcel is going to be different when it comes to the credit and I don't think the credits are going to be as large as some people thought," she said.
The first-half bills this year reflected increases in values and consequently increases in taxes due to the state-mandated triennial update for the county which requires increases in values based on sales. The county must do a revaluation of property values every six years and then the triennial update in the third year between revaluation updates.
Having the triennial update for the first-half tax bills and then the state credit for the second-half bills made everything a mess, according to Blakeman, and he said it's not just here. Other counties are going through the same situation, causing their due dates for tax bills to also be moved.
Next year, the first-half bills would normally be due in February, but Blakeman said he may request an extension.
"I don't want people to have to pay the bill in October and four months later have to pay again," he said, adding it will be up to the state tax commissioner.
Milliken said next year's bills will reflect the additional 2.5% owner occupied tax credit the county commissioners approved in June plus an additional credit the state approved.
The state voted recently to increase the exemption for the owner occupancy credit for so much each year, starting with 5.7% for next year's tax bill, then 8.92% for the following year, 12.15% in the subsequent year and up to 15.38% the year after that.
The state will reimburse tax districts for their loss from those increases.
So, for next year's tax bill, property owners who own their home and live in it will see increases in the owner occupancy exemption of 5.7% from the state, plus another 2.5% approved by the county for a total exemption of 8.2%. Taxing districts will be reimbursed for the state exemption, but not for the county-enacted exemption.
The exemption for the county will be for one year and have to be renewed by commissioners if they choose.
Blakeman noted that tax payments must be received by the due date or postmarked by the due date to avoid any statutory penalties. A new online payment platform is now operational through InvoiceCloud and accepts credit and debit cards, electronic checks, PayPal, Venmo, Apple Pay and Google Pay. Even in the office, he said there are new credit card machines on the counter to pay with the tap of a phone.
Visit www.treasurer.columbiana.oh.gov to make online payments, enroll in payment reminds and access information about property taxes.
One method that won't be available is the machine inside the courthouse just outside the treasurer's office where taxpayers could make payments instead of standing in line. Blakeman said it wasn't being used and the maintenance contract had been $5,000 per year, so he decided to discontinue it.
"It was a bust," he said.
The online payment system had already been in place under a different company and was just updated this year. He said it's working good and people are using it, with 180 payments made in the last 10 days representing $93,000.