2nd half taxes due today

 

With two days left to pay on second half property tax, collections are down about $3 million from the total amount collected in 2011.

Total second half collection for 2011 was $9.97 million. As for Wednesday $6.9 million has been collected, County Treasurer Stephen Burcham told commissioners at their regular Thursday meeting. Tax deadline is today.

“We usually get 20 percent of the tax paid on the last two days and we do accept postmarks on the last day,” Burcham said. “And a couple of escrow accounts haven’t paid and that can be as high as $1 million.”

Those accounts take in the property tax from mortgage payments.

“It looks like things are a little tighter than last year,” he said.

The commission also received the County Auditor’s 2012 Budget Appropriation Summary showing that the county’s revenue received through June is $128,315 down from that time period last year.

Among the main reasons for the current deficit is that the county no longer receives personal property and intangible taxes. When those taxes were discontinued, the state had originally said it would reimburse the county.

However, it chose not to do so. In 2011 the county received $22,586 in personal property tax and almost $98,000 in intangible tax.

Also, local government funds that come from the state are down approximately $17,000. However sales tax receipts are up $202,000.

“We knew our local government funds would be decreased this year,” Commission President Les Boggs said after the meeting. “However, the sales tax is up and we are happy about that. We will look at the total revenue and expenditures come budget time around October and make needed changes.”

Budget hearings when officeholders make their requests for the next year are expected to begin in the next quarter.

The amount of revenue certified for 2012 is $14,654,358. If that is received, there will be a $480,157 carryover. If revenue exceeds that figure by 5 percent the carryover will be $1,129,714. If it falls by 5 percent, there will be an almost $170,000 deficit.

In other action the commission:

• Approved spending $67,844 for emergency repairs to the air conditioning system at the recorder and county engineer’s offices;

• Received $223,447 from the Moving Ohio Forward Demolition Grant Program for the removal of blighted properties in the county;

• Appropriated $6,000 for the county treasurer’s office to cover banking fees;

• Honored former Ironton High School student Nathan Kerns as 2012 Champion Ohio Amateur Golfer;

• Approved construction agreements for FEMA landslide repair work;

• Received weekly dog warden report where no dogs were destroyed; 29 were sold and none were redeemed by owners. There were 69 dogs in custody this week.