By Brian Massie, A Watchman on the Wall
Property ownership is the foundation of liberty. Without property rights, we will become merely serfs of the State.
The mandatory sexennial revaluation that will occur in Lake County in 2024, with the property taxes to be collected in 2025, will cause many people to ask themselves if they can afford to live in Lake County. The estimated 30% increase in property values will create a windfall of property taxes for the taxing authorities that collect inside millage and the school districts that are at the 20 mil floor. Five school districts out of nine in Lake County will be at the 20 mil floor after the 30% increase in property values. [Willoughby-Eastlake, Kirtland, Perry, Riverside, and Madison]
Please remember the windfall in property taxes is without a vote of the people.
Lake Metroparks will receive approximately $174,000 extra annually without a vote of the people. When we were told that they have $30 million in cash reserves, we asked them to forgo the windfall of $174,000. Their statement: “We need the money to keep the parks safe and clean”.
There is no one, excluding Commissioner John Hamercheck and Auditor Chris Galloway, that has expressed concerns that the increasing property taxes are pricing people out of their homes.
After careful consideration and review of the applicable sections of the Ohio Revised Code and the Ohio Constitution, it is our position that the 20 mill floor legislation violates the Ohio Constitution. The following is a short video of yours truly speaking to the Lake County Commissioners on February 15th about the 20 mill floor.
Unfortunately, the newly installed President, Commissioner John Plecnik, does not permit any discussion or comments by the Commissioners or the staff to the citizens on any subject matter brought before the Commissioners. It has become a very, very unresponsive Board of Commissioners.
The following is a copy of the speech I delivered to the Lake County Commissioners.
Lobbyists for Citizens would like to thank Lake County Commissioner John Hamercheck for supporting us on this initiative.
Commissioner Hamercheck was also the only Commissioner that expressed interest in forgoing the increase of approximately $1.8 million in property taxes per year in County revenues because of the sexennial revaluation.
Commissioner Hamercheck was also instrumental in getting Laketran to stop collecting the 1/4% sales tax because they had accumulated $54 million in cash reserves.
Commissioner Hamercheck believes that Lake County needs a new jail, but he is not in favor of collecting the needed revenues from property taxes. He believes in our statement:
Any tax that, if unpaid, causes a citizen to become homeless is immoral.
Stay tuned, we will have many more articles on this subject.
If you want to get involved to ensure that your Commissioners and the Lake County taxing authorities do not tax you out of your home, please email the Commissioners and express your concerns about the ever-increasing property taxes.
Be sure to sign our petitions that are circulating in Lake County to add two taxpayers to the Lake County Budget Commission. Lake County Auditor Chris Galloway asked us to lead a citizens’ initiative to place an issue on the November ballot to allow voters the chance to increase taxpayers’ representation on a board that is supposed to be the “watchdog” for excessive taxation by the Lake County taxing authorities.
Thanks to Auditor Galloway and the Lake County Board of Elections for stepping up and assisting the taxpayers navigate the rules and regulations of putting our initiative on the ballot. Both departments do fantastic work for the citizens of Lake County.
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Categories: Lake County - General, Uncategorized