Karen Bailey, who has served as the Champaign County Auditor’s Office auditor for the past 16 years, spoke to members of the Urbana Lions Club on Wednesday about current issues surrounding property taxes in Ohio.
Bailey discussed a proposal currently being talked about at the state level that would abolish property taxes through a constitutional amendment. If the amendment were approved, it would take effect on January 1. She explained that currently all property tax dollars collected stay within Champaign County and are used to fund local services and county expenses.
According to Bailey, those dollars help support services such as local schools, townships, police and fire departments, libraries, and other community services that rely on property tax revenue to operate.
Bailey expressed concern that eliminating property taxes could shift more control to the State of Ohio, allowing the state to decide how funding is distributed rather than those decisions being made locally.
While discussing the issue, Bailey acknowledged there is a need for real estate tax reform. However, she noted that despite recent increases in property values and property tax bills across the state, Champaign County has not seen a significant increase in delinquent property tax payments.
Bailey also discussed the role of the county auditor’s office in determining property values, explaining that the office follows guidelines established by the state when conducting property revaluations and updates.
She emphasized that understanding how property taxes work is important for residents, as those dollars directly support many services used by the community each day.
The discussion was part of the Urbana Lions Club’s regular meeting, where community leaders are often invited to speak about issues affecting the county and region.
