Erie County suspends taxes for 2nd straight year

PERKINS TWP. — For the second consecutive year, all three Erie County commissioners agreed to, once again, not collect their share of property taxes from local residents. After introducing and then adopting this no-tax policy in 2024, effective for 2025, commissioners — Matt Old, Pat Shenigo and Steve Shoffner — recently decided to roll over this policy for all of 2026 as well. Among the 88 counties in Ohio, Erie County represents the only such governing entity at this level to suspend tax collections. "It took many years of thoughtful planning and frugal spending to be able to extend, for a second year, this savings for taxpayers," Shenigo said. What's the reason? In a letter sent to their budget commission, all three county commissioners explained their thought process resulting in this decision. "In 2024, Erie County foresaw an unfortunate manifestation of the property tax system. Thousands of residents saw substantial property tax increases that were unvoted," it read. This alludes to other taxing agencies — think local schools, area police and fire departments, among many others — requesting more money, through levy issues, in recent years. "We decided to take proactive action to mitigate the pain felt by county homeowners," the letter noted, talking about last year's initial effort to forgive property taxes on county government collections. While the added income could further pad county coffers, commissioners examined the current economic climate and believed many still faced burdens brought on by taxes. "Erie County is eight months into the current tax year and has seen the county general fund budget's resilience in withstanding the substantial loss of funding," it continued. "Due to the county's sustained fiscal position, the board of county commissioners are, again, requesting the suspension of 2.3 mills for the tax year 2025," which carries over into all of 2026. By doing this, county commissioners also put other local elected officials — mayors, city commissioners, city council members, township trustees, village officeholders, school board members and even judges — on notice. By incorporating good government practices and adhering to fiscal responsibility, commissioners said, the public can greatly benefit. "I know I hope — and my fellow commissioners both also hope — that other local officials from the townships and cities and our schools see the value in this and carefully consider how they can find a similar path toward reducing the burden on local taxpayers, reducing it in real time through real action at least until our state legislators come up with a permanent solution," Shenigo said. Making sense of the dollars and cents So how much does the average county resident save in all this? When basing the information on a $100,000 homeowner, that person would have paid $120 in taxes specifically for Erie County's services. This equates to about $8 million in tax revenue not entering the county's coffers on an annual basis. "It might not be sustainable over time," Shenigo said. "But, for now at least, it's cash directly in their pockets." Erie County's general fund, which totaled about $37.5 million entering 2025, has withstood this forgiveness and will remain largely unaffected by not collecting its share of property taxes. Commissioners expressed confidence in operating a government with $37.5 million. Receiving anything substantially above this, right now, would just go into their reserves/savings account. "And this property tax relief will not result in any reduction in county services," Old said. "We have been very financially responsible over the last decade, and the dividend of that good government is resulting in this tax relief for our citizens." Old credited Shenigo, the longest-tenured commissioner, dating back to first serving in 2009, as the main reason this all occurred. He's helped turn the county's finances around, said Old, pointing to Erie County's debt. Most notably, entering 2025, the outstanding amount owed equaled $46.3 million. This marks a 60% decrease compared to when county debt peaked at $116 million in 2008. "This tax relief is really a tribute to Pat," Old said. "By him taking this hardline approach to finances, it's the reason we can provide relief to our residents and be the only county in Ohio that can suspend taxes." And it's continued in the years since with Old, first taking office in 2017, and Shoffner, first taking office in 2019, by his side. Ensuring this number continues to decrease ranks among the commissioners' top priorities. "We are continuing to pay off debt as it matures, but, more importantly, we continue to spend wisely on new infrastructure and only after careful cost-benefit analysis warrants," Shenigo said. And this isn't the end of fiscally responsible policies benefiting local residents, Old said. "We will continue our efforts to lower costs for the citizens of Erie County," he said. "We are the only county in Ohio to completely suspend the county's portion of the property tax bill. This means our residents will pay $0 to the county government. Through strong financial management over the last decade, we are in a position to take these actions."