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YOUNGSTOWN -- Mahoning County property owners will have until Sept. 18 to pay their second-half real estate taxes after changes in state law delayed the mailing of tax bills.
The adjusted bills are expected to begin going out within the next few days, Mahoning County Treasurer Daniel Yemma explained in a news release.
The delay stems from House Bill 186, among several property tax reform measures approved by the Ohio Legislature last year. The bill created an Inflation Cap Credit for qualifying properties, intended to limit increases in certain unvoted school property taxes resulting from rising property values.
The amount of the credit will vary depending on the property, while taxes should remain largely unchanged for properties that do not qualify, Yemma said.
"When this legislation was under consideration, county treasurers across Ohio warned the General Assembly that tax bill delays would be a likely result," Yemma said. "This has proven to be the case."
The Department of Taxation made a one-time, mid-cycle adjustment to tax rates to calculate the new credit.
After Mahoning County received the updated rates from the state, Mahoning County Auditor Ralph Meacham's data processing department had to reprogram the software used to prepare the bills. The information has since been sent to the third-party vendor that prints and mails the bills.
The delay prompted Meacham last month to authorize advance distributions of property tax revenue to school districts, municipalities, townships and other local taxing entities while the county waited for the new rates and tax bills to be completed.
The Inflation Cap Credit was among property tax reforms enacted after steep increases in property values across Ohio caused concerns about corresponding increases in taxes, particularly in school districts operating at the state's 20-mill floor.
The impact will vary by school district, and estimates showed some county property owners could receive comparatively little relief while those in districts more affected by the 20-mill floor could see larger reductions.
Property owners must pay their second-half taxes or have payments postmarked by Sept. 18.
Yemma cautioned residents who plan to mail payments that a postmark may not necessarily reflect the date an envelope is placed in the mail. The treasurer's office recommends paying electronically, allowing additional time for mailed payments or requesting an in-person, hand-stamped postmark at a post office.
Information about payment methods is included on the back of the tax bill. Additional information is available through the Mahoning County Treasurer's Office at 330-740-2460