Churches and schools will see a reduction of slightly more than 50 percent in their estimated annual assessments after a clerical error was identified today (March 24) in the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District’s Conservancy Appraisal Record (CAR).
The MWCD discovered that churches and schools were incorrectly charged a higher assessment rate than the one that was approved for them by the MWCD Board of Appraisers. The result will be a reduction of slightly more than 50 percent off the estimated assessment that presently shows on their properties as listed in the CAR.
“With the input of a few officials of churches and schools in our region, we identified that a clerical error was made in calculating their annual estimated assessments,” said John M. Hoopingarner, MWCD executive director/secretary. “We apologize for this error and appreciate the information provided to us by our region’s churches and schools.
“At this time, the CAR contains an estimate of amounts to be assessed. We recognize that errors can and have been made in the information contained in the CAR. All owners of property should check the CAR for the accuracy of the information for their properties.”
The CAR, a record of estimated future benefits and assessments produced by the MWCD Board of Appraisers from the 20-year, $270-million maintenance and improvement plan for the reservoirs and dams in the MWCD region, describes all of the 522,000 parcels of property affected by the plan. A listing of the property owners, amount of benefits appraised and estimated annual assessments are included in the CAR.
The CAR, which was filed with the MWCD Conservancy Court on March 9, also is available online at www.mwcd.org and www.mwcdlakes.com.
Assessments to be collected from the CAR will fund the maintenance and improvements for the reservoirs and dams in the MWCD system.
Hoopingarner emphasized that copies of the CAR also are available in the clerk of courts offices in all 18 of the MWCD’s counties of jurisdiction, as well as by calling the MWCD toll-free at (877) 363-8500 for assistance.
The CAR, which reports future benefits of $2.5 billion from the MWCD’s plan to maintain and improve flood reduction and water quality, confirms the annual assessment cost for residential and agricultural parcels estimated to be $12, while the benefits appraised for these parcels is more than $2,000. Church and school properties will be assessed a rate of about $60 per acre according to the plan developed by the MWCD Board of Appraisers.
The CAR also sets forth the appraised benefits and estimated assessments for commercial and industrial properties in the watershed, which will be higher based on the increased amount of runoff from these types of properties.
The counties in the MWCD jurisdiction are Ashland, Belmont, Carroll, Coshocton, Guernsey, Harrison, Holmes, Knox, Licking, Morgan, Muskingum, Noble, Richland, Stark, Summit, Tuscarawas, Washington and Wayne counties.
MWCD estimates the assessment will generate more than $11 million annually for projects to maintain and improve flood reduction and water quality programs in the watershed. If final approval is given to the plan later this summer, collection of the assessment and projects in the work plan would begin in 2007. The plan of work and assessment program have been endorsed by the Akron Beacon Journal, Coshocton Tribune, The Times-Reporter (Dover-New Philadelphia) and Zanesville Times Recorder.
Hearings of the Conservancy Court to consider the requested exceptions and objections filed by property owners will be scheduled in each county and a complete schedule of those hearings has been published by legal notice. Those hearings will begin in mid-April.
According to state law, the appraisal methodology was developed by the three-member MWCD Board of Appraisers. Members of the Conservancy Court, which consists of one common pleas court judge from each of the 18 counties wholly or partially contained in the MWCD jurisdiction, reviewed and approved the methodology of the assessment at a recent session of the Court.
MWCD is believed to be the only one of 21 active conservancy districts in the state that does not levy and collect a maintenance assessment. The $12-annual assessment for residential and agricultural properties compares favorably with those in the Maumee Conservancy District of $13.26, in the Miami Conservancy District of $86 and in the Hocking Conservancy District of $126.
Since its inception, the MWCD system of dams and reservoirs has prevented more than $6 billion worth of potential property damage from flooding, according to federal government estimates. An independent study of the potential benefits of the MWCD maintenance and improvement plan estimates that once enacted, the region will receive about $2.5 billion in future benefits compared to its initial $270-million investment. The plan also will lead to the protection and creation of jobs with contracts enacted with private firms for much of the work.
By law, funds collected from the MWCD assessment cannot be used to pay for improvements related to recreation programs, such as boat launch ramps, camping facilities and others.
Projects that have been identified to be addressed over the 20-year time period include partnering with the federal government for dam safety improvements, sediment removal, shoreline protection, water quality improvements, watershed management and reservoir operations. The MWCD manages the reservoirs behind the dams in the system, while the federal U.S. Army Corps of Engineers operates the dams.
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