May 2nd Election Levy Estimator
David Thomas County Auditor Levy Estimator is Now Available for May 2nd Election
Ashtabula County Auditor David Thomas announced the roll out of the May 2023 Levy Estimator before early voting begins April 4th. This May 2nd ballot will see 17 tax issues across the county with voters deciding on a variety of levies.
“The online estimator is a great tool for property owners to learn more about the cost of current levies or new ballot questions,” shared Auditor David Thomas. The Levy Estimator page shows residents what is a renewal, additional, or replacement levy and what those mean for their tax burden.
Thomas cautions that with 2023 being a Triennial Property Value Update year, values will be changing for tax bills next year based on the real estate market. The Levy Estimator is still a good tool to use however.
There are three different types of levies. No increase to the property owner or what is called a Renewal Levy which extends the current levy at the same millage rate. Another type of increase is a Replacement Levy which changes the existing levy’s reduced millage rate back to the full rate.
Finally, new or additional levies generate tax revenue through new levies, raising the total effective tax rate for a given district and increasing the homeowner’s tax burden.
“How you vote is your right and business, but we can assist you in gather data when it comes to impacting your wallet,” said Auditor Thomas.
Thomas said the number of new levies on the May ballot is somewhat high for this time of year but most of the levies center around changes made in the southern townships for ambulance coverage. There are eight additional levies in the county, one replacement with an increase, and eight renewal levies.
Residents can view educational videos recorded by County Auditor David Thomas on his website or contact the Auditor’s Office with more detailed questions on valuations, tax rates, and the Auditor process. Residents can also contact their local government entities directly to learn more on the purpose of the funding.
The levy estimator is based on the Tax Year 2022 values or what the Auditor’s Office believes a parcel is worth on the open market as of January 1, 2022. This value is what property owners paid taxes on for this year.
“Taxes are confusing no doubt,” stated Auditor Thomas. “Through our Levy Estimator and outreach efforts I think we are making the process a little easier to understand and if we haven’t, people should never hesitate to reach out.”
For those property owners interested in seeing a breakdown of their taxable amount for each levy passed over the years, Auditor Thomas recommends visiting the Auditor’s website and looking at the Tax Distribution page for your property. This page displays when a levy was passed, the effective tax rate it is currently collecting, and how much the individual property owner pays towards that levy.
The May Primary Election will also be the first election with changes to ballot language passed through HB 140 in 2022. Now voters will see the cost to taxpayers which is estimated based on a $100,000 property similar to the Levy Estimator.
To learn more about levies and property owner’s tax liabilities, residents are encouraged to visit the County Auditor’s website at https://auditor.ashtabulacounty.us/dnn/ or call 440-576-3785 to learn more. The Levy Estimator is available under the Real Estate tab on the Auditor’s Home Page.
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