Red Bank to match state portion of tax relief; city to refund residents after trustee verification

Red Bank commissioners reviewed Resolution No. 25-1831 on a plan for the city to match the state portion of property tax relief for qualifying residents. Miss Perry, staff member, told commissioners the city will “match the state's portion, 100%.” The city will not determine eligibility; residents must apply at the state level and Hamilton County’s trustee office will notify the city when a resident qualifies and has paid their tax, at which point the city will issue a refund check. The resolution establishes a standard operating procedure to run the program through existing county processes and to reimburse qualifying taxpayers after trustee verification. “Red Bank does not determine eligibility for the program,” Miss Perry said, adding that the city will send payments directly to citizens after receiving information from the trustee’s office. Commissioners asked about the budgetary effect and payment timing. Miss Perry said staff initially modeled the program as a revenue reduction tied to the county share but, after consulting subject‑matter experts and the trustee’s office, determined the city’s obligation will match the state portion and will therefore be recorded as an expenditure because the city will reimburse residents after taxes are paid. She told the board the estimate is lower than earlier figures: the commission previously budgeted roughly $26,000 as a revenue reduction but staff now expects the city’s expense “to be about half of that,” based on the state share, though the final total will be known only after taxes are billed and trustee reports are received. Commissioner Stone asked staff to confirm that the relief applies only to property tax and not to trustee‑collected stormwater or sanitation fees; staff agreed that distinction should be communicated to residents. The ordinance and procedures call for annual audit and review and authorize the city manager or the manager’s designee to administer the program going forward. Why this matters: matching the state portion could make relief available to Red Bank property owners who qualify under state rules. The budget impact remains provisional: staff will reimburse residents monthly as trustee notifications come in and later propose a budget amendment to reflect the year’s total. What remains open: the commission reviewed and discussed the resolution in the work session but no roll‑call vote or final action on the resolution is recorded in the work session transcript.