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.