Senior citizen in Cleveland concerned about higher property taxes says her home value doubled after county reappraisal

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – Dorothy Williams has lived in her home in the Kinsman neighborhood for 41 years.

On Tuesday, she was shocked when she received her letter from Cuyahoga County Fiscal Officer showing the reappraised value of her property.

“Almost passed out, but thank God I didn’t but that is very high,” Williams said.

Her home was previously valued at $18,700. The county said it is now valued at $40,000.

“They haven’t been inside or anywhere they just going from the outside,” Williams said. “Painted the porch and painted the fence and they say, ‘oh’ that’s how much it’s worth.”

Williams said she qualifies for the Homestead Exemption Program.

It’s a statewide program that reduces the property tax burden of qualified senior citizens and permanently and totally disabled homeowners, disabled veterans and surviving spouses of public service officers killed in the line of duty, by exempting some of the market value of their home from taxation.

According to the Cuyahoga County Fiscal Officer’s website, Williams will go from paying an estimated $0 in property taxes in 2024 to an estimated $432 in 2025.

“A fixed income you don’t have it,” Williams said. “It’s a lot of elderly people like me they don’t have it.

Williams said this property tax hike will impact her neighbors who are also on fixed incomes.

“How are they allowing this to happen to senior citizens,” Williams said. “We can lose a whole lot by allowing them to go up on our property taxes so high.”

The county is hosting a virtual live event on the county’s Facebook, Instagram, and X pages to answer questions from taxpayers.

The county said taxpayers can send questions in advance to communications@cuyahogacounty.gov or ask in the comments during the event.

There are also four upcoming in-person community meetings.

• Monday, July 29, 2024
  Saint Agnes Our Lady of Fatima Church
  6800 Lexington Avenue
  Cleveland, OH 44103
  6-8 PM
• Tuesday, July 30, 2024
  Tri-C Eastern Campus Theatre
  4250 Richmond Road
  Highland Hills, OH 44122
  6-8 PM
• Wednesday, July 31, 2024
  Tri-C Western Campus Theatre
  11000 W. Pleasant Valley Road
  Parma, OH 44130
  6-8 PM
• Thursday, August 1, 2024
  Urban Community School 
  4909 Lorain Avenue 
  Cleveland, OH 44102
  6-8 PM

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