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The November general election is on the horizon, and early voting begins this month. With several levies on the ballot, now more than ever it’s important to Know the Value of Your Vote. Your Auditor’s office has updated the Levy Estimator tool on our website so homeowners can understand how these levies, if passed, would affect their property taxes.
Your Auditor’s office has updated the Levy Estimator tool on our website so homeowners can understand how these levies, if passed, would affect their property taxes. There are several levies proposed for voters in Franklin County, including a few school and other levies.
To use the Levy Estimator, visit https://audr-apps.franklincountyohio.gov/LevyEstimator.
After selecting your home’s location or entering a parcel number, the estimator will show both your current and estimated taxes if a levy or bond issue in your jurisdiction passes in the November general election.
As a reminder, the deadline to register to vote for the November general election is October 10, and early voting and absentee voting begins a day later on October 11. Mail-in absentee ballots must be postmarked by Monday November 6, or dropped off at the Board of Elections office at 1700 Morse Rd. by 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, November 7.
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Michael Stinziano
Franklin County Auditor |
Auditor's Office to Host 'Shred Hunger' Event
The Auditor’s office will host “Shred Hunger,” a combination household needs drive, document shredding and e-recycling event on the northwest side of Columbus on October 14.
The free event will be held from 10 am to 1 pm at Vertical Church, 1290 Old Henderson Rd in Columbus.
At the event, residents can bring documents, CDs and DVDs to be shredded onsite. Residents may also drop off electronics for recycling. Accepted items include computers, laptops, tablets, printers, stereos, LCD televisions, tube-style televisions, MP3 players, batteries, cables, keyboards, cell phones or other electronic equipment. Household appliances are not accepted.
While dropping off items for recycling or shredding, residents are encouraged to donate household goods which will benefit Community Refugee & Immigration Services (CRIS). Suggested donations include new sheet sets, pillows, warm blankets, laundry detergent, new or gently used dining sets, shampoo, bar soap, deodorant, toothpaste and toothbrushes.
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The 2023 Reappraisal: Explaining How Tax Equalization Works
Tax Equalization provides important guardrails that prevent increases in property values that result in large increases in revenue for local governments. Without equalization, taxes would go up in the same amount as property values – and local governments would receive more funding than was approved by voters.
The process of Tax Equalization was passed into Ohio law in 1976 and provides that voter-approved levies set a tax rate that is in-effect a maximum rate that can be collected on a property at the time the levy was approved. If the total value of a property subsequently goes up, then the rate used to calculate taxes goes down. That calculation is called the effective rate. With tax equalization, that effective rate is further reduced by a “reduction factor” that is determined by comparing prior property values to the new values.
Though there are some exceptions, including that the reduction factor does not apply to non-voted up-to 10 mills of “inside millage,” it is this process that ensures taxes don’t rise at the same level as values. For each property owner, the new tax amount following a reappraisal is determined not only by your new value, but also by how much everyone else’s values in your taxing district have changed.
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Edwynna Freeman, Auditor’s Office Director of HR, Wins HR Impact Award
Director of Human Resources Edwynna Freeman has been named a 2023 HR Impact award winner for her outstanding work in building a team atmosphere and promoting diversity and inclusion at the Auditor’s office. The award, which is given by Columbus Business First newspaper, recognizes 20 local human resources professions who are responsible for developing and maintaining company cultures. The awards were presented at an awards reception on September 7. For more information on the reward and its recipients, visit the Columbus Business First website.
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September True Transactions Award Goes to Floor & Décor in Hilliard
Floor & Décor in Hilliard has won the September True Transactions Award for its use of accurate scales and scanners in its sales of high-quality floor and tiling products. “I congratulate Floor & Décor’s Hilliard staff on their outstanding record of accurate scales and price scanners, ensuring their customers get what they pay for,” Stinziano said.
Floor & Décor is a national specialty retailer of hard surface flooring, offering a wide selection of tile, wood, and stone flooring supplies and accessories. Its Hilliard location is at 3785 Park Mill Run Rd. Additionally, the company has a location in Reynoldsburg at 6300 Tussing Rd
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Community Hours
Franklin County Auditor Michael Stinziano continues to hold weekly Community Hours meetings where residents can stop by and visit, or join virtually via Facebook @mstinziano, and share firsthand their feedback and ideas about the Auditor’s office or any concerns they have.
Community Hours will be held at the dates and locations listed below:
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Monday, October 2 at 12:30 pm – Virtual community hours featuring Portside Café, Hamilton Township
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Wednesday, October 11 at 9:30 am – In-person community hours at Coffee Connections, 4004 Main St. in Hilliard
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Tuesday, October 17 at 2 pm – In-person community hours at Columbus Metropolitan Library, Hilltop Branch, Meeting Room 2, 511 S. Hague Ave. in Columbus
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Thursday, October 26 at 11:30 am – Virtual community hours featuring George’s Linworth Diner, Perry Township
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Tuesday, October 31 at 12:30 pm – Virtual community hours featuring Lombardi’s Pizza & Ice Cream, Lockbourne
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Do you have a suggestion for your Franklin County Auditor's office? Email AuditorStinziano@franklincountyohio.gov. Our goal is to make the office accessible to YOU.
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