Butler County taxing bodies get $2 million boost

Every year the Butler County Auditor’s Office refunds excess administrative fees to local taxing jurisdictions, and this year the schools and governments will get a total of just over $2 million.

For calculating and distributing real estate tax collections to local governments, the state legislature sets the fee that county auditors collect from levy funds to pay for those administrative costs as well as much of the real estate operations of county auditor offices. If the fees exceed costs to administer the levies, the auditor is required to give a refund.

The areas with higher property taxes see more of the return, but the percentage is equal.

Here are the largest refunds:

  • Lakota Local Schools: $464,937
  • Butler County: $319,933
  • Fairfield City Schools: $220,967
  • West Chester Twp.: $173,890
  • Middletown City Schools: $123,325
  • Hamilton City Schools: $114,856

“Taxpayers should demand efficiency from their government leaders,” Butler County Auditor Roger Reynolds said in a statement. “We prove every day that the size of government can be reduced and still operate at a high level.”

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