Auditor’s Civic Education and Public Information

About the Program

Category: Civic Education and Public Information (Best in Category)

Year: 2020

The Fairfield County, Ohio Auditor’s office has taken the lead in developing first-of-their-kind education and guidance materials in an area of critical importance to Ohio’s taxpayers and public officials: the real property valuation that forms the basis for Ohio’s system of property taxation. Despite its importance to the taxpayers of the state who pay those taxes and to the local officials who rely on those taxes, and despite the fact that this system annually assesses and collects billions of dollars in property tax, until now those who seek to challenge their property’s valuation at one of Ohio’s 88 county board of revision have largely been left on their own, with little to guide them through this dense and confusing system. There was a substantial unmet need to make this system more accessible with effective materials to instruct and guide citizens and public officials through its complexity.To address these needs, the Fairfield County Auditor’s Office has developed a comprehensive suite of materials through its website – The Ohio Board of Revision Resource Center (OBORRC) – and its in-depth practice guide – The Ohio Board of Revision Practice Handbook. These materials, available either free of charge (the website) or at the cost of reproduction (the Handbook), provide both taxpayers and the public officials who adjudicate property valuation disputes with a wealth of user-friendly instruction and practice materials. These materials, developed and maintained with already-existing staff, have provided greater access to tax-justice for Ohio’s citizens and at minimal cost. Both the OBORRC website and the Handbook have been well received and used all across the State of Ohio.