When Columbiana County property owners see their tax bills later this month, many will see higher taxes due to a state-mandated increase in property values based on sales, known as the triennial update.

“We all own property in Columbiana County. We feel very bad about this,” county Auditor Nancy Gause Milliken said.

She said that she and her staff, including real estate manager Jamie Poppelriter, have gone back and forth with the Ohio Department of Taxation at least four different times, sending proposals and having discussions, but to no avail. She said the county sent four proposals down to Columbus to try to challenge the state’s numbers but they were all rejected.

The property values are increasing anywhere from 0% in some areas to up to 36% in other districts, depending on sales of properties in those areas. The increase in values will translate to some increases in the taxes for properties, but not necessarily the same percentage as the values.

“It’s not one for one,” Poppelriter said.

Ohio Revised Code 5715.33 requires the county auditor to revalue all real property every six years, and update those values in the middle of each revaluation cycle or in the third year, called the triennial update. The triennial update looks at sales of properties from the past three years to determine whether the market value has changed and whether the property values need updated, which in many situations requires an increase in value which in turn can mean an increase in the taxes for the property.

“Sales in our county have been extremely high in some areas,” Milliken said.

In other areas, where there may have been only one or two sales of properties, the county was permitted to leave them alone, which would be a 0% increase.

In most triennial updates in the past, Milliken explained the county was permitted to do an across the board increase in value, but the state would not allow it this time. Where a property is located will depend on how big of an increase there is for the property value.

The new values and the tax amounts are now available on the auditor’s website which can be accessed at oh-columbiana-auditor.publicaccessnow.com or just do a search for the Columbiana County Auditor website, then search for the property in question and look under taxes.

Milliken has written a few guest columns in the local newspaper to keep citizens updated regarding the property values. She said she and her personnel are available to help anyone who may have questions. The county has a way for people to challenge their value through a complaint to the county Board of Revision by March 31. Poppelriter said the property owner must provide proof regarding their property value, such as an appraisal from a licensed appraiser or a sale price in writing.

Milliken addressed the recent moves by the state legislature to try to ease the property tax burden on taxpayers, saying the legislation may help a little bit, but she would have preferred the state freezing the property values back to 2022, which would have given citizens a better reduction.

House Bill 186 establishes an inflation cap credit related to unvoted school district millage known as the 20-mill floor to limit increases to the rate of inflation instead of allowing increases based on new values. Another bill imposes a cap on inside millage (local government taxes that don’t require voter approval) based on inflation.

According to Milliken, none of the legislation specifically helps senior citizens.

Both Milliken and Poppelriter said the increases in value, which will result in tax increases, will be seen on the first half tax bill, but in the second half, there may be a credit due to the legislative changes, if a property value went up. Both said they have no idea how much the credits will be, with Poppelriter saying the Ohio Department of Taxation is currently working on the formula to determine the credit.

Milliken said she checked with other county auditors in the state regarding their property values and learned “we are all in the same boat. They all went up and our hands are tied pretty much.”

Property tax bills are expected to be mailed by the county Treasurer’s office in mid-January with a due date of Feb. 20.

mgreier@mojonews.com