EDITOR’S NOTE: This is No. 8 of the Top 10 stories of the year as voted on by newsroom staff.

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN — In July 2023, Mahoning County Auditor Ralph Meacham estimated the value of properties has increased by an average of 30% in the past three years, compared with 13.1% for the three-year period before that. At that time, he expected one-third of homes in Mahoning County to see their property taxes increase as a result of the reappraisal, one-third to stay the same and one-third to drop.

The new tentative values, however, showed a total average residential increase of 38.1%.

Meacham cautioned that it did not mean property taxes would rise by the percent listed. A mechanism in Ohio law dating back to 1976 called House Bill 920 keeps inflation from significantly increasing the amount of property taxes a homeowner pays, regardless of whether property values increase or decrease in a neighborhood.

Because of the leveling effect of HB 920, Meacham said he would expect that one-third of homes in Mahoning County would see their property taxes increase as a result of the reappraisal, one-third would stay the same and one-third would drop. Property taxes typically are due in March and the reappraisal will affect property taxes paid in 2024.

Issues that could raise a person’s property taxes are if new tax levies have been approved recently or if the person added onto the home recently. Property taxes also can rise modestly because of increases in “inside millage,” which is up to 10 mills of unvoted property tax. In most places in Ohio, the full 10 mills of inside millage are levied annually.

Ohio law requires all county auditors to establish a current value of real property once every six years. As a result, contracted appraisers were engaged to review every parcel in Mahoning County.

Meacham released the tentative market values for tax year 2023 countywide real estate reappraisal for taxpayers to review. Ohio law defines “fair market value” as the price a property would likely sell for in the open market.

For this purpose, according to Meacham’s office, an analysis of valid sales of comparable properties in similar neighborhoods resulted in a fair market value being placed on a property. A valid sale is defined as a transaction between a willing buyer and a willing seller, neither being under any pressure, both having full knowledge of all relevant facts about the property and the uses to which it may be put.

Property is then taxed at the assessed value, which is 35% of the fair market value.

The tentative values do not include any adjustments for new Current Agricultural Use Value soil values, new construction, demolition, splits or plats, or any board of revision decisions. The adjustments were included in the final abstract sent to the Ohio Tax Commissioner in November 2023.

Taxpayers have the right to know how the county established this value on their property, Meacham said. The auditor’s office hosted informal review sessions in October and November 2023 for those taxpayers who wanted to speak to an appraiser regarding their new tentative value.

Meacham said every six years, the county is required to conduct a general appraisal of all the property parcels — of which there are 164,000 — in Mahoning County.

“The goal of this is equalization, to make sure every taxpayer is being treated fairly regarding all of the other property owners,” Meacham said at the time.

Mahoning County has used the same local appraisal company for years. The information collected is sent to the Ohio Department of Taxation to approve or not approve, Meacham said.

A smaller type of property revaluation (a three-year) was carried out in 2020, which showed an overall property valuation increase of 13.1%. The newest revaluation in 2023 showed an increase of 38% in the property values.

Meacham showed how Mahoning County’s 38% increase in property values compared to other counties in the state.

“You’ll see we are kind of right in with everybody else,” he said in January. “Assessed value increases are not limited just to Mahoning County. It’s statewide.”

He showed that counties near Mahoning have similar increases: Trumbull, 35%; Geauga, 30%; and Ashtabula, 32%. Columbiana County did not comparably provide the data, Meacham said.