November 8th Election Levy Estimator
David Thomas County Auditor Levy Estimator is Now Available for November 8th Election
Ashtabula County Auditor David Thomas announced the roll out of the November 2022 Levy Estimator. This November 8th ballot will see 26 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.
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.
“Our goal is to be fair to all taxpayers and provide you with the info possible to make an informed vote,” said Auditor Thomas. “How you vote is your right, but we can assist you in gather data when it comes to impacting your wallet.”
Thomas said the number of levies on the November ballot are about normal for this time of year with a variety of levy types and government agencies on the ballot.
There is one additional levy in the county, two replacement levies, three replacement with an increase, and 20 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 additional levy is for Windsor Township for parks and recreation lasting five years at 1 Mill, or $35 per year for a $100,000 market value property.
The three replacement with an increase levies include Conneaut City for Roads, Roaming Shores for Police, and Kingsville Township for cemeteries. Conneaut City’s 4.75 Mill levy for five years would cost the property owners of a $100,000 market value property will pay $166 per year. Roaming Shores’ 5 Mill levy for a continuous period if approved would cost $175 per year for the property owner of a $100,000 property.
Finally, Kingsville Township’s 1 Mill levy for five years would cost the property owner of a $100,000 property $35 per year.
The two replacement levies include Ashtabula County District Library for current expenses lasting 10 years at 1.25 Mills meaning $43.75 per year for a $100,000 market value property. The other replacement levy is for the Jefferson Emergency Rescue District for general operating. The levy will be for five year at 3.5 Mills, or $122 per year for a $100,000 market value property.
The levy estimator is based on the Tax Year 2021 values or what the Auditor’s Office believes a parcel is worth on the open market as of January 1, 2021. If a resident added new construction this year or changed their property, that would not be reflected in the estimator but will be seen with their new tax bill in 2023 for Tax Year 2022.
“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.
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.
2279