News briefs: County auditor returning $483,000 to Ross County subdivisions
CHILLICOTHE -- Ross County Auditor Jeff Lehner announced that the auditor’s office will refund more than $483,000 in fees to their original jurisdictions this month following Ross County’s 2023 first-half tax collection. Refunds equal to their amount paid will be issued to each of Ross County's levying subdivisions, including the county's school districts, townships, villages, the Chillicothe-Ross County Public Library and the City of Chillicothe.
“I'm here to help produce a county government as lean, productive and efficient as we can possibly achieve,” Lehner said. “These funds represent a significant cash surplus in the auditor’s real estate division budget right now. We don’t need them for operations and I believe they can be better used for Ross County than to keep sitting in our office account.”
Each property tax collection season, county auditors in Ohio calculate levy revenues proportional to each levy’s millage and distribute them accordingly to each taxing authority. For these services, a fee to fund the Auditor’s real estate office operations is withheld from distributions.
Lehner added: “The goal is to have these funds returned to our subdivisions by June. For now, this is a one-time action made possible by unique economic circumstances over the last 18 months, specifically inflation. That said, I’m open to future similar actions based on conditions around tax collection seasons on a case-by-case basis. The objective is to maximize value for Ross County taxpayers — we’ll keep that focus in the years ahead according to what's possible."
Traffic signal improvements
CHILLICOTHE -- The city of Chillicothe’s Engineering Department will be performing traffic signal improvements at the intersection of Bridge Street and Main Street this Wednesday, May 10.
City forces will be completing the work with assistance from a contractor. The work is anticipated to begin at 7:30 a.m. and is expected to finish later in the afternoon. There will be traffic control measures in place and city police present to assist with traffic operations until the work is completed.
The public is advised to take necessary precautions, plan for longer traffic commutes, or avoid this area if possible. Any questions can be directed to the City Engineer, David Fishel, at 740-773-8981.
It's all about Mom: CAC's Mother's Day event
The Community Action Committee of Pike County (CAC) will be hosting a Mothers’ Day-themed event from 1 to 5 p.m. Thursday, May 11 at the Pike County Fair Grounds (311 Mill Street in Piketon). The It's all about Mom event will focus on showing appreciation to local mothers by providing a day filled with activities and vendors focusing on celebrating moms.
Activities include a free door prize for mothers in attendance, hourly raffle drawings, a clothing giveaway, COVID-19 Vaccines by the Health Department, Adena Health System’s Mammogram Bus, vendors offering information and resources for women’s health and wellness, and more.
“We are very excited to host this event,” stated Keith Pitts, President and CEO of Community Action Committee of Pike County. “Women’s health and wellness is very important to ensure that mothers are empowered and supported, and this Mothers’ Day is a perfect opportunity to celebrate.”
For more information about this event, please contact Sandra Perdue at (740) 947 – 7726 ext. 7716 or email her at sperdue@pikecac.org.
Spring Speakers Series concludes with a program on clothing
The Ross County Historical Society’s 2023 Spring Speakers Series will conclude Wednesday, May 10, at 7:30 p.m. with a program titled “Through Chillicothe Doors—A look at the clothing worn in Chillicothe in the 19th century,” featuring Ericka Osen, nationally recognized authority on historical textiles and clothing.
Osen was formerly the Manager of Clothing and Textiles at Conner Prairie Museum in Indiana and Period Clothing Manager at The Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village in Dearborn, Michigan. She has lectured on historic clothing at many nationally recognized museums including the Smithsonian Institution. Her presentation at the Ross County Historical Society will provide a fascinating look at the clothing worn by both the women and men who built Chillicothe during its early years.
If you enjoy Chillicothe’s downtown streets lined with beautiful historical buildings, this program will provide a terrific opportunity to see what the original people who lived and worked in those buildings looked like when they stepped out their front doors.
The program is admission-free and will take place from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Ross County Heritage Center, 45 West Fifth Street, Chillicothe. Refreshments will be served.
Auction to benefit historical societies
The Hocking County Historical Society in Logan is holding an online auction of historic barn paintings to benefit 10 historical societies throughout Ohio, including those in the following counties: Shelby, Champaign, Fulton, Stark, Portage, Ashland, Summit, Wood, Ross, and Hocking.
Each historical society currently displays 7-8 of the paintings. The paintings, oil impasto, are done on a Masonite panel and framed in rustic barn siding, made by the artist and author, Robert Kroeger. The barn paintings and their stories are featured in the recently released book, "Round Barns of America," available in bookstores and through online retailers. The auction is on biddingowl.com and under the Hocking County Historical Society. It begins on May 1 and ends on May 31.
The 72 paintings feature 11 round barns in Ohio, including Stark County’s Timken barn and Lancaster’s round barn in the county fairgrounds as well as the oldest documented round barn, built by President George Washington in 1794. Each round barn has a story to tell, a look at early America from the east coast to the Wild West.
Meetings
The Ross County Local Emergency Planning Committee will meet at 1 p.m. Monday, May 15, at the Ross County Service Center, 475 Western Avenue, Chillicothe-Conference Room A.
This article originally appeared on Chillicothe Gazette: News briefs: County auditor returning $483,000 to Ross County subdivisions
