In county finance, the responsibility for the financial decision making is divided between the Auditor and Treasurer. The Auditor is responsible for executing transactions and maintaining financial budgetary records. Other duties include real estate appraisal, assessing taxes, preparation of the tax duplicate, manage licensing for dogs and the county's information technology systems along with testing and inspecting commercial weighting and measuring devices for consumers. The Treasurer is the cash manager who functions similarly to a banker. The separation of duties provides a system of checks and balances between the Auditor and Treasurer. Good communication is essential between the two offices
Cash Manager
The Treasurer is responsible for the collection of all real estate taxes, manufactured home taxes, and personal property taxes. The Treasurer collects and records all monies received by other county departments from dog tag licenses through the Auditor to fees from the Clerk of Courts, Recorder, Health Department, Sheriff and more. All transactions processed by each department as posted by fund to the Treasurer's records. Bank activity of the treasury is balanced with the depository on a daily basis and the Treasurer provides daily financial statements to the Auditor to ascertain that both offices' records are in agreement.
Chief Investment Officer
The Treasurer is also the Chief Investment Officer of the County, responsible for more than $750 million in revenue annually along and manages an investment portfolio of over $350 million dollars. The Treasurer should match investment timing with cash flow needs. The goal of investing public money is to protect the public money while trying to maximize returns using eligible investments purchase from eligible depositories in compliance with the law. Safety, liquidity and earning a market rate of return on the county's money are the primary responsibility.
Tax Collector
The Treasurer Office's primary duty is the role to tax collector. Tax bills are prepared based on information contained on the Auditor's tax duplicate. The collection of real estate and manufactured home (trailer) tax typically is handled in February and July each year. Settlement or disbursements of monies to schools, townships and other government agencies is typically handled by the Auditor in March and August each year. Taxpayers are welcome to pay taxes in advance or sign up for our pre-pay, auto debit program as a helpful option which is especially useful for taxpayers on a fixed income.
Delinquent Taxes
Taxpayers not paying their tax bills within the allowable time incur interest and penalties on unpaid amounts due. Taxpayers still owing tax after the date of settlement have their names placed on a delinquent tax list. This list is certified by the Treasurer to the Auditor. The Auditor publishes this list in newspapers having general circulation in the county and on their website. The Treasurer also issues delinquent tax bill for any outstanding balances due. Payment of delinquent tax is coordinated through the Treasurer's Office. The Treasurer offers 12-month and 24-month payment plans for delinquent taxes to taxpayers having financial difficulty. In cases where taxes owed are not collected through conventional means, the Treasurer works a tax lien company for tax lien certificate sales and the county prosecutor for tax foreclosures. A tax lien is a means to still work with the taxpayer to repay taxes before initiating a tax foreclosure.
Committee Board Member and Miscellaneous
The Treasurer also performs miscellaneous duties which include maintaining the bonds of several county officials and setting on various boards. Those boards include the County Budget Commission, the County Board of Revision, the Stark County Microfilming Board, the Investment Advisory Board and the Data Board.