CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — Ross County Auditor Jeff Lehner announced Friday that his office will waive about $450,000 in real estate fees as part of the county’s second-half 2025 property tax levy distribution.
The move follows similar actions in 2023 and 2024. In May 2023, Lehner announced his office would refund more than $483,000 in fees to local jurisdictions following the county’s first-half 2023 tax collection. In July 2024, the office waived approximately $450,000 in fees for the second-half 2024 distribution, bringing the cumulative total at that time to nearly $1 million. With Friday’s announcement, the waivers total nearly $1.5 million added to budgets for the county’s school districts, townships and other levying jurisdictions since Lehner took office in March 2023.
“With this action, we will have cut and returned nearly $1.5 million in excess fees from the Auditor’s real estate office budget since I took office,” Lehner said. “It’s part of how we’re working to produce a more efficient, responsive Ross County government.”
Each property tax collection season, county auditors in Ohio calculate levy revenues proportional to each levy’s millage and distribute them accordingly to each taxing authority. For these services, a fee to fund the auditor’s real estate office operations is withheld from these distributions.
Lehner added: “I have been asked previously why we don’t return these funds directly to taxpayers. I would rather do that, but state law requires that these fees can only be spent or returned to taxing districts via their governing authorities. This move is the best available alternative to allowing these funds to sit in the County’s account without a clear need.”
Lehner continued: “Money taxed beyond actual needs that sits too long is too often wasted on initiatives and pet projects nobody asked for. We’re doing what we can in the Auditor’s office to stand up for taxpayers; cutting these fees is part of that effort. If we don’t need it, we shouldn’t take it.”
Ross County residents are encouraged to email Auditor Lehner with any questions at [email protected].