Clark County is estimated to lose more than a quarter million dollars in local government funds next year, while the city of Springfield will lose nearly $300,000, according to George Sodders, county auditor and secretary to the Clark County Budget Commission.  Sodders said that the County Budget Commission, which approves local distribution of the funds, will get about $5.5 million next year to distribute to all the county’s political subdivisions.   “All subdivisions will receive less,” Sodders said.   The commission approved just over $6 million this year.

The Local Government Fund is funded by 3.68 percent of all state General Revenue Fund tax sources.   Sodders received the estimate from the Ohio Department of Taxation late last week.

“Keep in mind that these numbers are only estimates and are likely to change,” Sodders said.   ”For example, the total estimate given to the commission last year fell short by more than $200,000 and this year’s actual receipts are below estimate,” Sodders explained.

“As tax receipts continue to decline in the state’s General Revenue Fund, local government receipts will continue to slide, Sodders concluded.

“A new federal program officially called the Car Allowance Rebate System and dubbed “Cash for Clunkers” is triggering new scams over the Internet,” according to Clark County Auditor George Sodders. The program provides $3,500 or $4,500 credits to consumers who trade in less fuel-efficient cars or trucks that meet certain qualifications. While the program is scheduled for late this month, the scams are already showing up.According to Ohio’s attorney general, scammers often try to piggyback on new programs and this is no exception. Apparently, imposters are telling consumers they need to pre-register or provide their social security numbers to be part of the program, which is absolutely not true.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, consumers don’t need to register or obtain a voucher to benefit from the program. Instead, dealers will apply a credit at the time of purchase.

For more information on CARS, visit www.cars.gov.

Auditor George Sodders and Executive Director James Straley have partnered to offer pet owners a week to purchase licenses without penalty, from July 24 to August 1.

County Commissioners unanimously approved the measure Tuesday.

The owners may purchase the license for $16 from the Auditor’s office, 31 N. Limestone Street, the Humane Society, 5201 Urbana Road or at the Clark County Fair (located near the pony rides).  Satellite locations will not be participating.

After the amensty period, the cost of the license will double to $32.

For more information about the amensty week, please contact Regina Rollins at (937) 521-1862 ; or email auditor@clarkcountyohio.gov.

For the past several years, our office has implemented the latest technology designed to improve operational efficiency, while better serving all our citizens. To reach the twin goals of office transparency and citizen engagement, our website has been designed to be more useable, comprehensive and searchable.Taxpayers will now have a central location for one-stop inquiry of the numerous functions of the auditor’s office. With menu driven orientation, the site is more user friendly and easy to navigate. We have added a news column for the latest updated information and a contact list for quicker public response. Another new feature is the interaction of our website with Google mapping and directions.

To better serve citizens in the future, our plans include the implementation of online payment for dog licenses, vendor licenses, cigarette licenses and real property tax payments. We are excited about maximizing the utilization of modern technology for the convenience of all taxpayers. Our investment to improve operations was made with taxpayer dollars, and we intend to make that investment work for all our citizens.

The new website address is www.clarkcountyauditor.org.

Clark County has escaped budgetary cuts during the first six months of 2009 only because county commissioners extended the temporary one-half percent addition to the permanent one percent tax levy. According to Clark County Auditor George Sodders, revenue from the one percent permanent tax is down more than 5.5 percent compared to the same time last year.

“Sales tax collections from the permanent levy totaled just over $6.2 million for the first half of 2009 compared to over $6.6 million for the same period last year,” Sodders said.

“Additional revenue from the permissive one-half percent tax approved by commissioners has generated just over $3 million dollars through June of this year,” according to Sodders. “Without that added revenue, Clark County would have no choice but to make severe cuts in personnel and related services,” Sodders said.

“With unemployment above state and national levels and personal income below state and national levels, county government must come to grips with a shrinking local economy that cannot sustain the status quo of local government finances,” Sodders said.

“I am convinced that the county is at a crossroad where it must either ask citizens to approve a permanent increase in the local sales tax rate or begin trimming expenses before the current temporary tax rate increase expires,” Sodders concluded.

Before Ohio changed its Homestead Exemption qualifications, only 2,910 homeowners aged 65 or over received a reduction in property taxes in Clark County. That was in 2006 when taxpayers’ annual income could not exceed $23,700.

When the income requirement was eliminated in 2007, 10,501 homeowners received a tax reduction based on the first $25,000 of property value. That number grew to 11,162 last year and edged up to 11,424 in 2009.

The average annual tax savings is now $391 for homeowners aged 65 or over. The auditor’s Homestead Department is supervised by Gary Evilsizor.