COLUMBIANA COUNTY Panel to head off property tax raise

The group has until fall to develop a plan.
By NORMAN LEIGH
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
LISBON -- A panel of residents, public officials and business people is to find a way to reduce a possible property tax increase for Columbiana County.
County Auditor Nancy Milliken has formed the group over the past several weeks, and it met recently to get familiar with its mission. The group's first working meeting is Thursday.
Milliken said she's encouraged by the enthusiasm of the 19-member panel. "There's going to be a lot of good input," she predicted.
Its job stems from a state department of taxation routine examination of property sales that found many properties in the county sold for more than the value the county had them listed at.
Based on the review, the state has told the county it's pondering a 25 percent increase in property valuations for Columbiana County to ensure they're more in line with their market values.
Because a property's dollar value is used to calculate taxes, a 25-percent valuation increase could translate into about a 14-percent property tax boost that would take effect in 2002.
The tax committee will try to negotiate a lower valuation increase with state tax officials, Milliken explained.
Predicts problems: If the state enacts a 25-percent increase, "we're going to have major problems in this county," she added.
The committee has until fall to come up with arguments the county can make against a valuation upturn.
"Our biggest argument will be that we're an economically depressed area," Milliken said.
Higher taxes are nothing new in the county. Taxes went up for many property owners in Columbiana County following a 1998 state-mandated reappraisal.
Milliken and her staff selected committee members with the goal of assembling a cross-section of county residents, public officials and businesses.
The committee's meetings will be private.
Milliken said the panel does not fall under the provision of Ohio law that requires public officials to hold open meetings.
She added that she prefers private meetings because frank discussion is required if the committee is to meet its goal.
"I don't think people are going to be open if" the meetings are attended by the public or news reporters, Milliken said.