From Fiscal Officer Eric Pridonoff

(Golf Manor – 7/26/2023) – They say two things are certain, death and taxes.  That may be a morbid way to start a discussion about taxes, but let’s be real.  No one wants their hard-earned money to be taken from them, for any reason.

Unless, we see real value added, our money should stay where it is, in our pocket.  We take the business of responsibly and efficiently getting the best value for every dollar of tax money spent on your behalf seriously. That being said, I would like to take this time to break down how Golf Manor residents’ taxes are calculated, collected, and distributed.

The calculation of taxes collected on behalf of Golf Manor residents starts with real property. Hamilton County determines the taxable property value of every building in the county based on a current fair market value. This is not Golf Manor specific.  County taxes are then divided based on the voted millage.

An example of this millage distribution can be found on the Hamilton County Auditor’s website. The referenced property is evaluated by Hamilton County to be worth $108,210.  This property for 2022, under its previous owner, owes $4,375.94, in taxes, which is broken down into 2 semi-annual payments of $2,202.06.  The pie graph above depicts the breakdown of those taxes by percentage.  Take note to three regions of taxes.  The blue region, representing Cincinnati Public Schools, accounts for 49.2% of all property tax dollars collected.  The second region to focus on is red, this represents the Village of Golf Manor, which is 32.3% of total tax dollars.  The final region is multi-colored as it represents independent county services including children services, the County General Fund, senior services, the public library, and more.  All County services combined are an additional 18.5%.  As a matter of order, it should be noted that the Village of Golf Manor is responsible for less than 1/3 of real estate taxes.  It should also be noted that renters in the Village of Golf Manor do not directly see property taxes reflected in monthly rent obligations.  Finally, it is important to recognize that even if Hamilton County property evaluations go up 40, 50, or even 100%, the Village of Golf Manor only sees 32.3% of that value, and has virtually no ability to affect the County’s appraisal.  Individual property owners can contest valuation increases directly with the County, but that is beyond the scope of this article.

The Village’s 32.3% of total collected property tax can be broken down further into its individual funds and departments.  In the blue region pictured above, the Village’s real estate property tax is displayed.  This accounts for approximately 31% of all Village revenues in an average year.  Income tax of 41%, comes from taxpayers who work in Golf Manor.  Residents who work outside of Golf Manor and pay taxes to the municipality they are employed in are eligible for a tax break that covers all but .2% of their income tax obligation to the Village.

As is visible above, Real Estate Property Tax accounts for about 1/3 of the annual budget.

Further broken down, Village Expenses (appropriated by Council) are above. The Golf Manor Police Department (GMPD) accounts for approximately 41% of the annual appropriations, however because they generate some funds of their own, the actual cost for taxpayers in the Village is close to 33% of expenses.

The next largest piece is the ubiquitous “Payment to Another Political Jurisdiction”.  This is Golf Manor’s monthly payment to Deer Park-Silverton Joint Fire Department, which accounts for 20% of expenses.

Other items include refuse collection (11%) and mayor, council, and Admin Salaries (12%).

The bigger picture important to keep in mind is that the Village receives a significant amount of funding from Hamilton County and the State of Ohio, which aids heavily in the Village’s ability to foment economic growth and continue to provide safe, clean, and operable streets.

If you or any other Golf Manor residents have further questions about Village Finances, please feel free to contact the Village Fiscal Officer, Eric Pridonoff, at 513-531-7491 ext 305.