Fiscal Office
Washington Township’s primary source of revenue is property taxes. Ohio law limits unvoted property taxes to “inside” of 10 mills, which is known as inside millage. Additional taxes “outside” of the 10 mills may be approved by voters and are known as outside millage. The inside millage the Township receives is credited to the General Fund.
How Washington Township Services Are Funded
How Tax Rates Work
Residents’ tax rates are determined by a number of factors, including township of residence, county and school district. Each of these entities have their own tax rates largely determined by outside millage.
The current total Fire Fund millage for Washington Township is 15.45 mills, with an effective millage for residential and agricultural property of approximately 7.38 mills. (Effective millage allows tax levies to be reduced based on increases in property values.) The 15.45 rate includes permanent tax levies as well as operating levies, which have expiration dates. The last operating fire levy approved by voters in 2020 was for 8.25 mills and expires in 2025. The current fire operating levy of 8.25 mills was originally passed in 2010, and renewed by voters in 2015 and 2020. Since the original 2010 levy has been “renewed” twice, the effective millage gradually adjusts downward each collection year so as not to create a windfall as property values increase. This stabilizes annual collections to approximately $18 million annually. The Township relies on the fund balance to cover annual shortfalls and to provide the financial resources for significant capital outlays related to fire apparatus, medics and other heavy equipment necessary to respond to emergencies within the community. For the current fire operating levy (2020-2025), capital outlays for replacement fire engines, ladders and medics is estimated at $4.2 million.
For more information, please contact:
Fiscal Officer Joyce Robinson at (614) 652-3937 or jrobinson@wtwp.com.