Farewell to 2016 from the Treasurer’s Office

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SIDNEY — “This year I will be leaving office as my term expires in September and a new era begins. I have had the privilege to work for the county over 32 years and served as your Treasurer for 14 years,” said Shelby County Treasurer Linda Meininger.

“My primary job as your public servant is to handle the taxpayer’s money responsibly. I have felt strongly that we need to watch out for every dollar we collect,” she said.

Meininger’s report continues:

We spent several years working under difficult times and budget constraints. We always need to be positive and be prepared for the unexpected. We have competent elected officials who care deeply for the county.

With the forming of the Shelby County Land Reutilization Corporation we are moving forward to improve our city and county neighborhoods. The next three years will be very interesting to watch the progress. We have hired Douglas Ahlers as our Land Bank director. You can reach him at 937-498-7253 or email, [email protected].

For the first half tax bills we have printed close to 30,000 bills and our charge to collect is $26,095,137.18.

We are still using TaxEase of Ohio which is our lien company. Since we signed a contract with them late 2012, we have collected $886,916.48 in delinquent taxes which otherwise would not have been possible.

I believe, looking forward, we will also need to offer more digital services. As long as we are mindful of the security concerns and risks associated with each new process we adopt.

The interest rates on our investments I hope will raise more by the 2nd half of 2017. But until then, the money is invested in CDs, Agencies and Commercial Paper. They are constantly being reviewed on a monthly basis, sometimes more. So as markets change our outlook can change also.

For taxpayers 65 and older as well as the disabled there is a homestead reduction available in the Auditor’s Office. Also, there is an owner occupied credit for which you can apply if you own and live in the property.

Active military personnel are allowed an extension of payment due to House Bill 390. This extension needs to be applied for in the Treasurer’s Office. The Veterans Office is always available to assist veterans and their families.

Our office will continue to help all the taxpayers in any way we can. There is no place like your home and we try to help you keep it. Our hours of operation are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8:30 a.m. to noon Friday. Our website is www.shelbycountytreasurer.com and the main phone number is 937-498-7281.

On an ending note, my father was someone who always gave back to the city and county. And he gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another, he believed in me. He taught us it was important to give back and just one person can make a difference. Thank you again for the privilege and honor to make so many new friends and I hope to be remembered as a good representative for the county.

A good friend who is a freelance journalist once said “There’s a whole world of firsts out there, regardless of age,” so now I can explore.

Meininger
http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/47/2017/02/web1_MeiningerLinda_04.jpgMeininger

For the Sidney Daily News

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