Local Collaboration Hosts Successful Educational Programs About Property Taxes

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 

LOCAL COLLABORATION HOSTS SUCCESSFUL EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS ABOUT PROPERTY TAXES

CHARDON, OHIO — April 20, 2026 – Geauga County Auditor Charles E. Walder is reflecting on the successful series of three in-person, moderated educational programs jointly hosted by the Geauga County Auditor’s Office, the League of Women Voters of Geauga, and the Geauga County Public Library. The sessions were designed to provide nonpartisan public awareness about the mechanics of property taxation and the potential impact of a proposed constitutional amendment to abolish property taxes.

In Property Tax Changes: What They Could Mean for Our Public Services, Schools, and Geauga County, panels of local leaders discussed how property taxes operate in Geauga County, what property taxes do and do not fund, and how they are used by various organizations and agencies. Each program was open to the public and free to attend. Attendees were encouraged to ask questions of panelists during the program.

The series featured a diverse range of elected officials who provided transparency into how local budgets function:

• Session 1 had 112 attendees and was held at the Geauga County Public Library’s Bainbridge Branch on February 25. It featured a panel of Bainbridge Township Trustee Kristina O’Brien, Kenston Board of Education President Tom Manning, Auburn Township Fiscal Officer Dan Matzko, and Russell Township Fiscal Officer Karen Walder.
   
• Session 2 had 103 attendees and was held at the Geauga County Administrative Office Building on March 10. It featured a panel of Chardon Board of Education President Karen Blakenship, Geauga County Commissioner Carolyn Brakey, Munson Township Fiscal Officer Todd Ray, and Newbury Township Trustee Greg Tropf.
   
• Session 3 had 87 attendees and was held at the Geauga County Public Library’s Middlefield Branch on April 7. It featured a panel of Claridon Township Trustee and Geauga Township Association President Jonathan Tiber, Geauga County Commissioner Jim Dvorak, and Cardinal Board of Education Member Edna Phile.

In addition to the panelists, information was provided and audience questions answered by Geauga County Public Library Director Kris Carroll, Geauga County Prosecutor James Flaiz, Geauga County Treasurer Chris Hitchcock, and Auditor Walder. The sessions were streamed via GTV.

“The feedback we received from attendees was overwhelmingly positive,” Auditor Walder said. “The audience was interested and engaged, and it was fulfilling to help our community feel more knowledgeable about property taxes’ impact on local government in Geauga County.”

Videos of all three sessions are available on the League’s Website at https://www.lwvgeauga.org/. For more information, please visit the Geauga County Auditor’s website or contact Kate Jacob by email at [email protected].