MOUNT VERNON — Knox County taxpayers have pleaded for tax relief since property taxes skyrocketed following the 2023 reappraisal of home values.
In 2023, the county’s gross agricultural and residential property tax receipts totaled more than $68.47 million. That number jumped to more than $85.34 million in 2024.
It rose slightly in 2025 to $86.78 million.
Last week, the Knox County Board of Commissioners heeded that plea, voting to “piggyback” a county homestead exemption onto the state’s exemption.
“This will give a reduction in taxes to low-income seniors predominantly,” County Administrator Jason Booth said of the commissioners’ vote.
The Knox County Auditors Association of Ohio (CCAO) advocates for increasing the homestead exemption at the state level.
At a September CCAO meeting held at the Knox Memorial, Mahoning County Auditor Ralph Meacham said, “One of the reasons that county auditors are advocating for a robust homestead exemption is we have an aging population that is in poverty.”
He noted there is a correlation between an aging population and a poor population, and that rising tax delinquencies support that relationship.
However, at the same meeting, Lake County Auditor Chris Galloway cautioned commissioners about enacting the piggyback exemption because the state does not supplement those dollars like it does with the state exemption.
The state reimburses counties for revenue lost due to the state’s homestead exemption. In 2025, the total reimbursement to Knox County was just shy of $1.5 million.
The county’s piggyback exemption means taxpayers will receive another nearly $1.5 million in tax relief. However, because the state does not reimburse county exemptions, Knox County jurisdictions will receive $1.5 million less in revenue.
Taxpayers’ gain is other agencies loss
In 2025, county departments and the county’s general fund shared $270,679 in state reimbursement. Those entities will lose approximately that same amount in 2026 through the piggyback exemption.
Fire districts, EMS, recreation districts and libraries will lose nearly $95,000.
Eastern Knox County Joint Fire District tops the list, losing an estimated $28,625 annually. Central Ohio Joint Fire District faces an estimated $19,754 loss.
Fredericktown safety services will also see reduced revenue of $16,304 ($8,709 EMS and $7,595 fire).
County villages will see an income reduction totaling about $41,941. The local homestead exemption will not affect Gambier since it does not have a levy.
Since 60% of property taxes go to the schools, it is unsurprising that the piggyback exemption hits schools the hardest. Based on 2025 numbers, local schools will lose around $984,000 a year.
Mount Vernon City Schools will lose around $495,073, followed by East Knox at $170,153, Fredericktown at $116,042, Centerburg at $28,480, and Danville at $18,040.
The career center will see a revenue reduction of approximately $65,000.
North Fork, Northridge, Clear Fork, and Loudonville-Perrysville districts will also see reductions from Knox County residents ranging from $1,800 to $12,384.
Schools bear the brunt of taxpayer relief
School treasurers Judy Forney, Mount Vernon, and Jessi Busenberg, East Knox, were unaware that the commissioners were considering the exemption.
However, both said they understand the commissioners’ dilemma and appreciate their tax relief efforts on behalf of the taxpayers.
“We appreciate their resolution to help the taxpayers of our community by lowering the taxes they pay, much of which is used to support our schools. Losing nearly $500,000 per year is concerning, and the compounding effect of that loss over the next four years will change the bottom line of our General Fund forecast substantially,” Forney said.
Busenberg said the board approved and submitted a five-year forecast a couple of weeks ago but did not know about the piggyback exemption before submitting it.
She said East Knox could handle a potential $170,000 loss and factor it into the budget.
“We have an emergency levy that’s up for renewal in 2026, so we have some decisions to make fairly quickly on information that we don’t have fully available to us. That’s what’s most important to us at this point,” she said, referencing activity at the state level.
“If we have the inability to renew an emergency levy, or if something happens with inside millage or the 20-mill floor, or any of those things, we can only handle getting hit from so many different areas.”
Forney agreed that state legislation could have a greater impact on the district.
“It is not easy to plan for long-term operations of our schools with so much uncertainty, so we hope things are settled soon,” she said. “Mount Vernon City Schools believes that working in partnership with our community and our local and county governments is good for all of us.”
Tax relief means less for townships, too
Knox County townships will lose about $97,433 through the tax relief vote.
Howard Township stands to lose around $12,000, followed by Monroe Township at $11,607. Clinton Township falls just shy of $11,000, and Liberty and Pleasant townships will lose $7,162 and $7,135, respectively.
Clinton Township Trustee Donna Hochstetler said the trustees were initially unaware of the commissioners’ action. However, she reached Commissioner Bill Pursel on Tuesday, and Pursel was able to attend a special trustee meeting that night.
“It hurts everybody,” she said of the revenue reduction. “But we have to live in our budget. So we will make it work.”
Hochstetler said the township does not take out loans when buying equipment. She said that philosophy provides the township with flexibility in managing its budget.
“We do not believe that our people’s money should be spent on interest. We are very fortunate that we have never had to pay interest. Sometimes you have to tighten those belts,” she said.
