Richland County Commissioners Approve Tax Levies, Delinquent Sewer Actions at Sept. 3 Meeting

Richland County commissioners approved tax-levy amounts and rates that will land on upcoming property-tax bills and authorized enforcement against property owners behind on sewer payments during their Sept. 3 meeting — routine actions with real dollar consequences for households across the county.

Commissioners Darrell Banks, Cliff Mears and Tony Vero voted to adopt the levy resolution and certify monthly delinquent sewer bills for collection. The board had previously approved the county's 2027 tax budget on July 9.

Tax levies

Ohio law requires county commissioners to authorize necessary tax levies and certify them to the county auditor by Oct. 1, after the budget commission certifies the amounts and rates. Levy resolutions typically identify rates in mills, the levy's purpose and duration, estimated revenue, and an effective cost per $100,000 of property value.

The county's published materials for the Sept. 3 meeting confirm the levy resolution passed but do not list individual mill rates, the funds or services supported, the duration of the levies, or their household-level dollar effect.

Delinquent sewer bills

The sewer-bill certification allows unpaid sanitary charges to be submitted to the county auditor for placement on the real-property tax list. Under Ohio law, those charges can become a lien on the property and be collected the same way taxes are.

For each account submitted, Ohio requires the certifying authority to provide the parcel number, the property owner's name, the service customer's name, and confirmation that the information was verified. The county has not published the number of accounts certified Sept. 3, the total unpaid balance, or the neighborhoods and service districts involved.

Residents with sewer-billing questions can contact the Richland County wastewater treatment and sanitary engineering billing office at 1740 Fleming Falls Road in Mansfield or at 419-774-5519.

Other business

Commissioners also approved requisitions for goods and services, weekly transfers between line items, additional appropriations beyond original budget allocations, and employee travel requests for training and conferences outside the county. The county has not published itemized departments, dollar amounts, or travel destinations tied to those approvals.

How to follow along

Mears serves as board chair and Banks as vice chair. The board meets every Tuesday and Thursday at 9:30 a.m. in the Commissioners Boardroom at 50 Park Avenue East in Mansfield. The Sept. 3 meeting record is available through the county's Govly public meeting portal, and official minutes are published on the Richland County Board of Commissioners website.

With mill rates, delinquent-account totals, and spending details still unpublished, the key question for taxpayers remains: how much of this Sept. 3 vote will show up on the next bill that arrives in the mail?