The County Auditor has responsibility for the following areas:

• Administration of Special Assessments
• Preparation of General Tax List
• Administration of Tax Refunds and Abatements

Under law, the County Auditor cannot raise or lower property taxes. Tax rates are determined by the budgetary requests of each governmental unit, as authorized by the vote of the people, and are computed in strict accordance with procedures required by the Division of Tax Equalization, Ohio Department of Taxation.

Annually, the Auditor prepares the General Tax List. Your tax bill is based on the tax rate multiplied by your taxable valuation (which is 35% of your market value) on this tax list. This is your proportional share of the cost of operating your local government including schools, townships, villages and the county.

The Ohio Constitution limits the amount of taxation without a vote of the people to what is known as the "10 mill limitation" ($10.00 per $1,000 of assessed valuation) and is known as "inside millage". Any additional real estate taxes for any purpose must be voted by county residents and is known as "outside millage". Your "tax rate" is an accumulation of all these levies and bond issues.