By Brian Massie, A Watchman on the Wall
Way back in February 2023, Lake County Commissioner John Plecnik spoke to Auditor Chris Galloway about protecting seniors from being taxed out of their homes with the ever-increasing property taxes.
In November 2024, we wrote the following article asking the two Commissioners to support Commissioner Plecnik’s resolution to Save Our Seniors from the ever-increasing property taxes.
Our recent email again asking Commissioner Regovich and Beverage to support Commissioner Plecnik’s resolution prompted Lake County Auditor, Chris Galloway, to weigh in on the subject.
Lake County Auditor Chris Galloway
Commissioners:
Per our conversation in your work session a couple weeks ago, I would recommend a resolution supporting the following. These are real reforms that would help struggling seniors and not place a larger tax burden on younger families trying to get into their first home. I hope this is helpful.
Chris
1. Expand the Homestead Program
Current law exempts taxes on the first $26,200 of property valuation for individuals 65 or older or permanently disabled who have an Ohio Adjusted Gross Income of $40,000 or less. Propose increasing both the valuation that would be exempt from property taxes and the income threshold so that more individuals can qualify for the program. This will allow some of our most vulnerable Lake County residents to stay in their homes. I recommend raising the allowable income to $80,000.
2. Eliminate the Non-Business Credit and Expand the Owner Occupancy Credit
The State of Ohio pays a portion of qualifying property tax levies on behalf of residential and agricultural property owners, providing a 10% credit. The Non-Business Credit provides a 10% credit to all property owners with residential or agricultural properties, and the Owner Occupancy Credit provides a 2.5% credit to properties that are both owned and occupied as the individual’s primary residence. Eliminating the Non-Business Credit as it often benefits for-profit owners, while expanding the Owner Occupancy Credit to a meaningful credit that would provide real tax relief to those homes that are owner-occupied. This will help slow out-of-state property acquisition and slow the growth of rentals in our communities.
3. Limit the Growth in Revenue Received by School Districts Due to Reappraisal Changes
Under Ohio law, school levies are subject to a floor that will not allow the tax rate to be adjusted downward when reappraisal increases occur. Propose eliminating this hard cap on rate reductions and, instead, limiting growth on certain school levies to an inflationary index, containing revenue growth for districts operating at the 20-mill floor. As a result of this most recent valuation increase, many of the school districts operating at the floor received revenue increases in excess of 20%. Additionally change the formula for how the 20-mill floor is calculated – include emergency levies, etc. in the 20-mill floor. This will push most Lake County school districts above the floor and not allow for unvoted tax windfalls.
4. Create a Menu of Targeted Relief
Create tax relief programs aimed to protect low to moderate income residents. These programs could include tax deferrals, income tax credits, or abatements based on a long-term resident’s inability to pay the ever-increasing tax burden.
5. Empower the county budget commission
Support legislation clearly defining the authority and powers of the county budget commission to review tax budgets and adjust levies as needed or necessary. Give the budget commission the authority to roll back or suspend a voter approved levy if the approved budget does not require that level of funding.
Editorial Comments by Brian Massie, A Watchman on the Wall
We profusely thank Auditor Galloway for thinking “outside the box”, and sticking up for the financial interests of the Lake County taxpayers.
Taxpayers must realize that Auditor Galloway is putting himself at risk, because his suggestions to help taxpayers will not be appreciated by many special interests groups in the State of Ohio.
We thank Commissioner Plecnik and Auditor Galloway for defending not only the seniors in Lake County, but recognizing that in order for Lake County to be an attractive, and affordable place to live in the future, something must be done to curb the spending of the taxing authorities in the County and the State.
Even Lily is excited about Auditor Chris Galloway’s and Commissioner John Plecnik’s attempt to help the seniors and all Lake County citizens fight the ever-increasing property taxes.
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Categories: Lake, Lake County - General, Lake County Politics, Real Estate Taxes, Uncategorized