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Butler County commissioners direct staff to prepare 0.92‑mill rollback and local homestead exemption for 2026 collections
Summary
At a regular meeting the Board of Commissioners agreed by consensus to prepare resolutions to reduce the county's inside millage by 0.92 mills and to pursue a local homestead property tax exemption for qualifying owners, with items to be certified to the county auditor for collection year 2026.
At a recent Butler County Board of Commissioners meeting, the commissioners directed staff to prepare resolutions to reduce the county's inside millage by 0.92 mills and to adopt a local homestead exemption for qualifying owner‑occupied properties, with both items to be certified to the county auditor for collection year 2026. Administrator Boyko presented data and asked for direction.
The action matters because it would directly lower county property tax bills and alter revenue shared among local taxing entities, including schools and townships. Administrator Boyko said the county previously forewent expected increases and has already returned substantial funds to taxpayers.
Commissioners discussed two main options: adopting a local homestead exemption that would reduce taxes for qualifying homeowners, and rolling back part of the county's inside millage so the county forgoes revenue and shares the benefit with taxpayers. Boyko summarized the options and the auditor's projections and said the auditor needs certification as soon as possible to implement an exemption for the 2026 collection year. She also said the state had proposed a homestead credit and that the county could set a local homestead exemption.
During the discussion, Boyko explained revenue impacts: she said the county's inside millage projected collections for 2026 are about $25,000,000 and that foregoing 0.92 mills and retaining 1.0 mill would reduce county collections by roughly $12,500,000. She said the change would translate to about $100 in annual tax savings per $100,000 of assessed value (for a home valued at $250,000, she said, it would be about $250). Boyko also told the commissioners the average Butler County home value was about $248,000 based on the county data presented.
Commissioner Dixon and others said they favored a combination of the homestead exemption and the inside millage rollback. After further discussion, the board reached consensus that staff should prepare resolutions to implement a local homestead exemption and a 0.92‑mill inside millage rollback for certification to the county auditor.
The board did not adopt final legislation at the meeting; staff will bring formal resolutions back for approval. Boyko noted the auditor needed timely information to calculate impacts and implement the exemption for collection year 2026.
