County to send out new appraisal values

The auditor plans evening hours for those who want to discuss the valuations.
By ED RUNYAN
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- Trumbull County property owners can expect to see letters in the mail during the first week of December giving the new appraised value of their properties.
The letters will give a description of the property, including types of buildings, square footage of the primary building, the building's age, number of rooms and bathrooms, basement, attic, garage and fireplaces.
A separate section will describe taxable exterior improvements such as wooden decks. It will also tell the proposed 2005 appraised value of the land and buildings.
The values will be reflected in the tax bills owners receive in 2006 for the year 2005. Additional property information is available by visiting the auditor's Web site at www.auditor.co.trumbull.oh.us and selecting "property search." That Web site will have the new valuations starting Dec. 1.
Auditor David A. Hines said his office will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Dec. 5 and 6 and Dec. 12 and 13, and from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. the other days of those two weeks, for informal reviews.
If property owners feel their properties have been over- or under-valued or an error has been made in the appraisal process, they should contact the office, Hines said.
Those who want their appraisal reviewed should bring with them information to support their value claims, such as a recent appraisal or recent comparable sales in the neighborhood.
Doesn't expect many disputes
Deputy Auditor Adrian S. Biviano said he doesn't expect many disputes over values because most people have a pretty good idea of the value of their property. He said the new valuations are based on recent sales activity, which is information most people pay attention to.
"A lot of [property owners] might be surprised that the values are not even higher," Biviano said.
Countywide, residential property values are going up by an average of 10.35 percent, Hines has said.
Bill Nicholas, the office's chief appraiser, gives the following example of how that would affect a home valued at $90,000: If the house rose in value by about 10 percent -- $90,000 to $100,000 -- the owner would pay increased taxes on just 35 percent of the increase -- or $3,500 -- and only on the first 10 mills, not the entire millage on a property.
Multiplying the $3,500 example by 10 mills gives the property owner an increase in property taxes of $35 per year, minus a state rollback of 10 percent on all properties and an additional 2.5 percent on all residences.
In the end, the increase in property taxes would be only $30.62 per year for the example given, Nicholas said. "I'm not anticipating a real big boost in people's real property taxes," he said.
Biviano said people should remember that the new property valuations are based on the property's value, not taxes. "Taxes are based on votes," Biviano said. "We do not set the tax rates. We determine valuation."
For example, if people's taxes go up because residents of their community approved a tax increase at the polls, that is separate from increases in taxes based on the revaluation, he said.
runyan@vindy.com