Heather Milliron, a student at Possum Elementary School, is the proud owner of the Top Dog in Clark County for 2011.  “Jasmine saved my life when there was a coyote outside”, Heather wrote in her essay.  Jasmine will wear the number one dog tag issued in Clark County.

Second place winner is Maggie Bruce, at Catholic Central Elementary School in Springfield, and third place winner is Morgan Tackett, a student at Possum Elementary School in Springfield Township. Maggie’s dog Oxford will wear top dog tag number two, while Morgan’s dog Buckeye will wear number three.

The annual top dog contest, available to all third, fourth and fifth grade students in Clark County, is held each year to stress the importance of dog licensing. “Our office will issue approximately 25,000 tags for 2011,” according to Clark County Auditor George Sodders.

Following the 2010 triennial update of property values, Clark County Auditor George Sodders conducted a month-long open book period. Valuation booklets were mailed, requesting property owners to contact the auditor’s office with any questions or concerns regarding their tentative values.

 According to Sodders, 1,225 contacts were received, including 1,037 via telephone, 71 office visits, 83 emails and 34 via direct mail. “Most of the contacts (70%) were for general information, including inquires about homestead exemptions and agricultural use valuation. About 30% of the contacts were questions regarding valuation changes that might be too high or too low,” Sodders said.

 “All contacts have been reviewed and nearly 99% have been resolved for inclusion in the 2010 final abstract of values to be submitted to the state for approval,” Sodders said.

 “It is the on-going desire and work of my office to seek accurate and uniform property assessments according to market value. The current value update, required by law, was conducted with great attention to the local Clark County real estate market and changes that have occurred since the last revaluation. We discovered and implemented adjustments ranging on average from -16.5% to -5.5%,” Sodders explained.

 “I want to thank all those who contacted us during our open-book review. Once final values are approved, they will be posted on my web site, www.clarkcountyauditor.org,” Sodders said.

Clark County Auditor George Sodders announces the Open Book Period for the 2010 Triennual Update.  To meet the challenges of a changing economy, I assembled a team of experts, including realtors, business groups and economists to track and measure changes that affect the appraised value of your property. Valuation booklets were mailed in mid September.  The Open Book Period ends on October 25th.  Residents have until that time to discuss their property with the Appraisal Department.  I encourage you to review the information and contact us with any concerns that you may have, Sodders stated.  Our community service phone number is 521-2195. You can also visit our web site at www.clarkcountyauditor.org and click on the “Contact Us Page” link, or visit us personally in the A.B. Graham Building located at 31 N. Limestone St.   

If you are currently receiving the Homestead Exemption for senior citizens, you will continue to receive the maximum reduction for which you are qualified.

George Sodders announces that current agriculture use value (CAUV) is changing.  To learn more about these changes please join our guest speaker Larry Gearhardt with the Ohio Farm Bureau who will explain this key topic for today’s agriculture landowner.  This event is sponsored by the Clark County Farm Bureau and the Clark County Auditor.  The meeting is scheduled for Wednesday 9/29 at 6 pm at the Springview Government Center located at 3130 E Main Street in Springfield.  Please plan to attend to learn important information regarding the calculation of your agriculture use property.

CAUV Brochure

2010 Delinquent Publication Listing

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN by the County Auditor of Clark County, Ohio as required by Section 5721.03 of the Revised Code of Ohio, that on the 22nd day of September, 2010 and the 29^th day of September, 2010, the Delinquent Land Tax List will be published in the Springfield News-Sun, a newspaper of general circulation in Clark County.

This list will contain the names of owners of all lands upon which the real estate taxes, assessments, recoupment charges, penalties and interest, or either, remain unpaid at the August 2010 tax settlement, and still remain unpaid.

An interest charge will accrue on accounts remaining unpaid after the last day of November 2010 unless the taxpayer enters a written Delinquent Contract to pay such taxes in installments.

Installment payments may be made in accordance with a written Delinquent Contract with the Clark County Treasurer.

Installment payments WILL NOT prevent the publication of the balance of unpaid taxes, assessments, recoupment charges, penalties and interest.

 PREVENTION OF PUBLICATION

Payment of taxes, assessments, recoupment charges, interest and penalties, IN FULL, if made no later than 4:30 p.m. on the 17^th day of September, 2010 will eliminate those land owners names from publication on September 22, 2010, and payments made no later than 4:30 p.m. on the 24^th day of September, 2010 will prevent publication on September 29, 2010.

GEORGE A. SODDERS

County Auditor, Clark County, Ohio

Clark County Auditor George Sodders is making his Geographical Information System (GIS) available to promote enhanced public safety to the residents of Clark County.  Auditor Sodders is partnering with Sheriff Gene Kelly and Director Lisa D’Allesandris of EMA to accomplish this effort. 

I’m excited to be part of Clark County’s Wide Area Rapid Notification (WARN) System. Our GIS is critical to the operation of this early warning system,” Sodders said.  The WARN system utilizes the property locations that are currently managed by this department.

“In addition, our GIS department will be maintaining the data that will be entered by the end-user in the development of the early-warning notification database,” according to Sodders.

“In order for us to update your information in our database, I ask all citizens to visit my web page at www.clarkcountyauditor.org and enter your primary phone number(s).”

 “Early warning capability is increasingly becoming a necessary part of local communities. We want to ensure the safety of all our citizens.”

The depressed local economy continues to impact the county’s budget, causing revenues to fall short during the first quarter of 2010, according to Clark County Auditor George Sodders.

“The county’s budget estimates for 2010 may require mid-year adjustments if the local economy doesn’t begin showing signs of recovery,” Sodders said. “Our sales tax revenue is down almost 2% from the same quarter last year, while the value of new housing permits plummeted almost 31%, and the value of commercial permits declined 21.5%,” Sodders explained. 

“In addition, the number of taxable property transfers is down, and fees collected from those transfers remain stagnate. Sales tax and fees are vital sources of revenue for the county,” Sodders said. The county’s unemployment rate remains above state and national levels. “Until we see growth in our employment numbers, the local economy will remain a drag on the county’s revenues,” Sodders concluded.

The lands, lots, and parts of lots, in the County of Clark forfeited to the State for the nonpayment of taxes together with the taxes, assessments, charges, penalties, interest and costs charged to them, agreeably to law, and the dates on which the lands, lots, and parts of lots will be offered for sale are contained and described in the following list:   

Auditor Land Sale List – May 2010 

Notice is hereby given to all concerned that the following forfeited tracts, lots, and parts of lots are offered for sale subject to all liens and encumbrances, except for liens for real estate taxes, assessments, charges, penalties, and interest for which the lien was foreclosed and in satisfaction of which the property is to be sold.

Starting at 10:00 a.m. on May 4, 2010 on the Court House steps, the following parcels will be sold:

Note: If no bid is received for any of the tracts in an amount sufficient to pay the amount required by law, the sale shall continue from day to day thereafter, each day at 10:00 a.m. on the Court House steps, until May 7, 2010 or until the county auditor has disposed of or offered each tract of land specified in notice.

I – indicator these parcels have building improvements

Notice is hereby given to all concerned, that if the taxes, assessments, charges, penalties, interest and costs charged on the list are not paid into the county treasury, and the county treasurer’s receipt produced for the payment, before the respective dates mentioned in this notice for the sale, each tract, lot, and parts of lot, so forfeited, on which the taxes, assessments, charges, penalties, interest, and costs remain unpaid, will be offered for sale on the respective dates mentioned in this notice, at the court house in the county, in order to satisfy such taxes, assessments, charges, penalties, and costs and that the sale will continue for four days until  each tract, lot, and part of lot specified in the list has been disposed of, or offered for sale. 

If the tract, lot, or part of lot, so forfeited, is sold for an amount that is less than the amount of the delinquent taxes, assessments, charges, penalties, and interest against it, the court in a separate order may enter a deficiency judgment against the last owner  of record of the tract, lot, or part of lot before its forfeiture to the state, for the amount of the difference, if that owner of record is a corporation, the court may enter the deficiency judgment against the stockholder holding a majority of the corporation’s stock. 

Now, therefore, public notice is hereby given that I, George A. Sodders, Auditor of Clark County, Ohio, will sell such real property at public auction, for cash to the highest bidder for an amount not less than the court and publishing costs incurred on each parcel.  If any parcel does not receive a sufficient bid it shall  be offered  for sale under the same terms and conditions of the first sale and at the same time of day and the same place until May 7, 2010.

Homeowners and other property owners who want to know how much a new tax levy will cost them can now find out on the county auditor’s web page at www.clarkcountyauditor.org, according to George Sodders, Clark County Auditor.

“Our new proposed levy calculator was developed in response to property owners who wanted to know how much a new tax levy would cost them if it is approved by voters. Taxpayers are normally told how much a levy will cost based on a $100,000 home value. With this new calculator, property owners can now calculate the cost based on the value of their individual property. The calculator was developed to assist all property owners who have proposed tax levies on the ballot,” Sodders said.

“We have also developed a tax estimator that can be used to calculate estimated taxes based on the taxing district in which a property is located. This estimator will assist both developers and others who might be locating to our county,” Sodders said.

The updated web page also now includes city and county combined geographical information map layers, including city and county enterprise zones, fire and EMS locations, sewer and water lines, and street and traffic lights, according to Sodders.

“I encourage all taxpayers to visit our web page at www.clarkcountyauditor.org to learn more about the many services that are provided,” Sodders said.

According to Clark County Auditor George Sodders, new foreclosure filings in Clark County dropped from 1,124 in 2008 to 1,104 in 2009, a modest 1.8% decline.  The most recent data was compiled by the Ohio Supreme Court.   During the same period, statewide filings increased from 85,773 to 89,053, a 3.8% climb.

 Among Ohio’s 88 counties, Morgan County recorded the highest percentage increase in foreclosure filings at 129.7%, while Allen County’s dropped 30.7%.

 In surrounding counties, Montgomery foreclosures dropped 9.5%;  Madison jumped 37.9%;  Greene increased 10.1%; and Champaign climbed 24.2%.

New foreclosure filings in Clark County have fluctuated between a low of 925 in 2005 to a high of 1,124 in 2008. Statewide filings have increased every year since 2005, ranging from 63,996 to 89,053.