Mahoning auditor advances property-tax distributions
Warns of YouTube scam targeting seniors
Trending
By DAN POMPILI
Staff writer
YOUNGSTOWN -- Mahoning County Auditor Ralph Meacham announced efforts on Monday to ease the impact of delayed property tax bills and warn residents about a tax relief scam targeting seniors.
Meacham said his office is advancing second-half property tax revenue to local governments, because of delays caused by legislative changes that affect second-half property tax calculations. Mahoning County's software vendor, which serves both the county auditor's and treasurer's offices, is updating the system to account for the new tax credits before tax bills can be printed and mailed.
Meacham's news releases state that county officials have not received an estimated completion date for the software updates.
Rather than wait until the bills are issued, Meacham has authorized an advance distribution of property tax revenue to schools, townships and other political subdivisions that rely on those collections to fund operations.
"Tax payments are received after the final settlement is made for the prior collection period. These payments are typically included in the first distribution of the new collection period," Meacham said. "Since the tax bills have not been sent out yet, I wanted to offer some relief to our townships, schools, boards and other property tax recipients. Every county in Ohio is experiencing the same delays."
YOUTUBE SCAM
In a separate announcement, Meacham warned residents about misleading YouTube videos claiming the federal government has created a new property tax relief program for senior homeowners.
The videos instruct viewers to contact their county auditor and request a "senior homeowner tax review request" form. Meacham said no such federal program or form exists.
"This scam has been circulating all over Ohio," Meacham said. "I don't understand why someone would post such a message just to cause confusion. If you have any questions about the real Homestead program, please do not hesitate to contact the Auditor's Office."
Ohio does offer legitimate property tax relief through the Homestead Exemption for qualifying homeowners, including many seniors, people with disabilities, qualifying disabled veterans and certain surviving spouses.
Eligible Homestead recipients also may qualify for a one-time, state-funded property tax reduction in 2027 under House Bill 479. Current Homestead recipients do not need to submit a separate application to receive that benefit.
Meacham encouraged residents to rely on official government sources for information about tax relief programs and to avoid providing personal information or paying for government forms through unofficial websites.
Residents seeking information about the Homestead Exemption or eligibility requirements may contact the Mahoning County Auditor's Office at 330-740-2010 or visit the county auditor's website.