OxfordPress.com

HAMILTON — Butler County Auditor Roger Reynolds will now try to explain why property appraisals for tax purposes are going up an average of 5.95 percent countywide while many are seeing their homes' value drop.

And he'll do it while running for re-election.

The first in a series of public meetings on the reappraisal is 7 p.m. today, Sept. 8, at Ross High School.

Countywide, the average home value in Butler County dropped 5.4 percent from 2005 through 2007, according to the Greater Cincinnati Multiple Listing Service. Values dropped 1.9 percent in Hamilton to an average $113,986 and 18.1 percent in Middletown to $83,716. Some values are up. The MLS said homes in West Chester Twp. went up 7.2 percent on average to $257,913.

Likewise, Reynolds said some will see their tax appraisals go up and others will see it go down. "It's a mixture, depending on where you live," he said. And increased home values don't always lead to a tax hike, he said. In fact, new commercial growth is helping to shoulder the tax burden so some may see their taxes go down.

The biggest reason his numbers differ from the MLS is because state law prevents Reynolds from taking into account bank sales, sheriff's auctions and HUD homes.

But some think this skews the numbers too high, because these transactions pull down the value of surrounding properties.

And Jack Zettler, who is challenging Reynolds for his job in November, released a statement suggesting Reynolds is boosting tax appraisals to keep government coffers full, and lambasting the incumbent for attending a $2,000 training seminar in Florida.

"It's not right to punish the taxpayers of Butler County because Butler County officials are unable to cease their pattern of uncontrolled spending," Zettler said.

Reynolds said his office aimed for a conservative estimate of market values in the appraisal, and was comforted to see that his appraised values are consistently below the asking price of houses up for sale. He said his appraisals are based on home sales in 2006 and 2007, and values fell both years.

But it has also been years since tax values were adjusted.

"(Homeowners') valuation prior to this one was a result of a 2002 valuation with a slight adjustment in 2005," he said. "There is still some appreciation in homes from the early 2000s, which is really what's being reflected in this update."

What is not reflected is a continuing downward trend in 2008. Through June of this year, home prices plummeted another 4.99 percent from last year, according to Karen Schlosser, president of the Cincinnati Area Board of Realtors.

"The numbers aren't set in stone," Reynolds said. "That's why we're going through town halls and the informal reviews, we want to talk to them and make sure the values are fairly reflected for 2008 values."