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Hamilton County property tax rebate projected lower for 2019

35 views · Published 9 November 2018 · 1:57 · Indexed 12 October 2026

Channel: LOCAL 12 · 2018 · News & Politics

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CINCINNATI (WKRC) - Hamilton County homeowners will likely pay more in property taxes in 2019, according to a recommendation by the county administrator.

Jeff Aluotto outlined his recommendation for the 2019 property tax rebate Monday morning. The rebate was created when the half-cent sales tax passed to pay for the two riverfront stadiums. It is supposed to be 30 to 35 percent of the revenue generated by the sales tax. That total was $79 million in 2018.

But Aluotto told commissioners Monday the county's obligations were too great in 2019 to approve a full rebate.

"Unfortunately, right now from a long-term perspective, the model just doesn't support that full rebate over the next several years," Aluotto said. "We have debt service that we have to pay; there's lease obligations related to both Great American Ball Park and Paul Brown Stadium. We have a pilot payment we have to pay Cincinnati Public Schools, so the capacity of the model to make that same level of payment is just not there."

The rebate has fluctuated since 2011. In 2018, it totaled $16.9 million. Aluotto is recommending commissioners approve a $5-million rebate in 2019, which would give the owner of a $100,000 home $18.05. Auditor Dusty Rhodes will implement whatever the commissioners approve, but he said the rebate has never lived up to expectations.

"The people voted for it. The problem is the people voted for something they're obviously not getting, and that's my problem with it," Rhodes said.

The commissioners could vote on the proposal in a couple of weeks. The property tax rebate comes from a different fund than the general fund. The general fund has a projected $28 million for 2019.

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