TRUMBULL COUNTY Reappraisal shows property values are rising most in northwest area

Property owners will have until March to file appeals.
By ED RUNYAN
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- Preliminary information about the just-completed 2005 Trumbull County property reappraisal is that values are increasing throughout the county but most dramatically in the northwest part.
Trumbull County Auditor David Hines said the reappraisal supports what he has suspected: Property values in areas such as Farmington and Mesopotamia are up because of the demand for land from commuters who use U.S. Route 422 and Interstate 480 to drive to jobs in the Cleveland area.
Fred Estlack, a real estate appraiser who works extensively in that area, said he would extend the "Route 422-I-480 corridor" to include Southington, Braceville and as far east as Champion.
He said he saw a "rather substantial increase" in property values right after Route 422 was turned into a four-lane highway several years ago.
Most of the increase is in rural areas, but those who seek water, sewer and educational opportunities are also driving up values in Champion, he said.
Determining taxes
Hines said Integrity Appraisal Services Inc. of Niles examined 140,000 parcels during a two-year period. Company president Joseph P. McNally said the results have been sent to the Ohio Department of Taxation.
He said the next step is for state officials to examine their own appraisal results and compare them to Integrity's results. By about the first of October, adjusted appraisals will be released for the public to examine, he said.
Hines said county residents will receive their individual letters in four to five weeks stating their value and square footage. The tax bills reflecting those valuations will go out in January, but property owners will have until March 30, 2006, to file a formal appeal.
They can also schedule an informal review any time after the results are released, an Auditor's Office brochure states. Ohio law requires the county auditor to reappraise all real property every six years and to update values every three years, it says.
In Trumbull County, the last reappraisal was in 1999. The purpose of the reappraisal is to adjust and equalize property values to reflect changes in the market since the last reappraisal in 2002.
The new value will be used in calculating property taxes until the next update in 2008. Appraisers use a computer-assisted system to determine values. The company then adds in such data as physical characteristics, recent nearby sales and location.
Hines said he will be an advocate for county taxpayers in meetings with the Department of Taxation. "We are trying to look for the betterment of the citizens of Trumbull County," he said. "We are trying to hold the numbers [for valuations] down as much as possible."