County to return more than $5M in excess assessments to tax districts

“Hopefully this will be be a nice surprise for the for the entities and they’ll be able to use these funds to help deal with some of the burdens they’re facing currently,” Keith said.

Keith said the excess came as a result of a $1 million decrease in the county’s reappraisal contract as well as increased efficiencies as a result of virtual meetings during the pandemic and new imaging technologies used for mapping.

Following previous reappraisal years the office was left with a “cushion,” but “this is the first time we really felt like that we had a surplus that was extensive enough to do a refund,” he said.

The top four refunds are going to the Human Services Levy and the public school districts in Centerville, Dayton and Kettering.

The county’s Human Services Levy is receiving the highest refund: $718,771. The county relies on the levy to fund safety-net programs for children in crisis, the developmentally disabled, the frail elderly and indigent — as well as those whose lives are upended by alcohol and drug use.

The refund comes as “a most appreciated surprise,” said Tom Kelley, who oversees Human Services Levy funding as assistant Montgomery County administrator for Human Services.

Kelley said the refund from the Auditor’s Office will further support the levy’s $823,000 already allocated to help nonprofits respond to urgent community needs as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Thanks to the support of Montgomery County citizens and the flexibility of our Human Services Levy, we were able to support — through local programs — those who needed help the most,” Kelley said.

Three school districts — Centerville, Dayton and Kettering — will get a little more than 30% of the total amount refunded. Altogether, school districts in the county will see nearly $3 million in refunds.

Tom Henderson, superintendent of Centerville City Schools, said he was “definitely surprised” by the refund.

“Public school districts work hard to be fiscally responsible, and any boost in revenue certainly helps us maintain the high quality of education our students deserve and our community expects,” Henderson said. “Our team will discuss the best way to use these unexpected funds as we move forward.”

From 2015 through 2020, the tax authorities paid $31.8 million into the real estate assessment fund. The pro rata assessments pay for the every-six-year reappraisal as well as the Auditor Office’s mapping and geographic information system, assessment and deed transfer departments and the Board of Revision.

While the pandemic created some uncertainties, it also opened other avenues for cost savings for the Auditor’s Office. Meetings moved online, helping the office avoid renting out space to hold informal property reviews, Keith said.

“One positive thing we can say about the 2020 reappraisal is that we have been able to do this in a very cost effective, cost efficient manner,” he said.

The tax districts should see the money show up in accounts by electronic transfer within a week, Keith said.