Lake County auditor: tax calculations certified; bills to be mailed; appeals open through March 31

Lake County Auditor Chris Galloway said Thursday that the county completed and certified property tax calculations on Monday and has transmitted the results to the treasurer, who is processing tax bills now.

"I just wanted to alert the Board that, the tax calculations were completed and certified on Monday," Galloway said. He told the Board the treasurer has sent the bills to the printer and residents should "look for those late next week, to be arriving in mailboxes."

The auditor said the county is preparing a public tax dashboard that will show neighborhood- and district-level impacts. "At first blush, it does appear that the average residential tax increase across the county is about 14%," Galloway said, adding that some properties will see decreases. "If your value went up 40%, your taxes did not go up 40%."

Galloway pointed to variation across taxing districts. He said the largest tax increases appear to be in the Willoughby-Eastlake School District, driven in part by the interaction of reappraisal and provisions of House Bill 920. By contrast, he said taxpayers in Mentor appear to see an average increase of about 6.5%. He attributed differences to the equalization process and to the way millage floors and levies interact with property valuations.

The auditor urged property owners who disagree with their assessed value to file with the Board of Revision. "Board of Revision is open, under the law...you can now file a complaint with my office," Galloway said, adding the office accepts online filings through the county's SmartFile platform and that the filing deadline is March 31. He encouraged residents to bring evidence—such as incorrect room counts or basement finish statements—for hearings.

Galloway also described ongoing work with state lawmakers to seek legislative changes he and the County Auditors' Association support, including budget commission reform, homestead-expansion ideas for seniors, and changes to mitigate abrupt tax increases caused by the interaction of valuation changes and HB 920. He said he has met with legislators and their staff and hopes some proposals will be included in the state budget later in the spring.

The auditor said the county will publish as much of the analysis as possible on its website and the planned dashboard so commissioners and residents can review district-by-district impacts once the data are finalized.

No formal action or vote on the tax calculations was taken at the workshop; Galloway reported the administrative completion and described appeal and outreach processes. Commissioners present asked questions and discussed getting talking points to share with residents.

The meeting audio will be available on the county's website, a staff member confirmed during the workshop.