Crawford County Auditor Joan Wolfe announced that value change letters will be sent in the mail soon.

“Of the approximately 33,000 real estate parcels in Crawford County, 8,000 are changing; 6,000 due to the change in agricultural use valuations. Only property owners whose

valuations have changed will be receiving a letter in the mail*” Wolfe said. “As most farmers are aware, when the county completes either a reappraisal or an update, the Department of Taxation provides new soil values for parcels enrolled in the Current Agricultural use Value (CAUV) program. These values have again increased. some doubling in value. All CAUV parcels will receive letters.”

Ohio law requires the County Auditor to establish an estimated fair market value for alt real property every three years.

In Crawford County the last physical reappraisal was completed in 2012. Since

property values do not change uniformly the purpose of the 2015 triennial update is to equitably adjust

and equalize property values, based on a statistical analysis of arm’s-length sales that occurred since 2012.

Each appraisal period helps to maintain uniform and fair assessments and helps to ensure that each person only pays their fair share of the local tax burden.

The Ohio Department of Taxation, Division of Tax Equalization, is the oversight agency to the County Auditor’s Office. The Tax Commissioner determines whether the various classes of real property have been properly assessed. The County, as well as the State, monitors sales over the last three years.

Based on this data, as well as other available economic information, the State recommended the aggregate value of residential property should be increased by four percent overall.

“This overall change in values means that real estate values are beginning to increase again, in relationship to the Auditor’s previous market values. This is in fact good news for the local economy,” Wolfe said. “In these times of economic uncertainty, it is vitally important for all citizens of this County to review their financial situation and make sure that the real estate tax records maintained in the Auditor’s Office are accurate, and that all tax credits for which they might be eligible, are being utilized.”