10/11/2026
Good Sunday morning to you all, I wanted to provide some information to help clear up any misconceptions on our upcoming Levy. Here is some straight up information it is a very long read so hold on. This explains exactly how the tax levy works. I will make another post following this explaining why we need the levy and what the funding actually goes too. Also this tax levy that we are asking for is not a new one it is a renewal of what is already in place. It has to be voted on to keep.
Property taxes can feel like a maze, but for a typical homeowner inside the village limits, it boils down to five basic concepts:
1. You only get taxed on a third of your home’s value
When the Defiance County Auditor says your home is worth a certain amount on the real estate market, you do not pay taxes on that full amount. Ohio law cuts your home's value down to exactly 35% before anyone calculates your tax bill.
• The Math: If the county values your home at $100,000, your "taxable value" is actually $35,000. The Fire and EMS levies only touch that $35,000.
2. "Inside" vs. "Outside" taxes (What you vote on)
Your tax bill is split into two buckets:
• Inside Taxes: These are automatic, baseline property taxes that local government entities (the village, the county, the schools) split up behind the scenes. You don’t get to vote on these.
• Outside Taxes (Levies): This is where your Fire and EMS levies live. If the fire department needs more money to operate or hire medics, they have to put a levy on the ballot and ask Hicksville village and township voters to directly approve it.
3. What a "Mill" actually costs you
Ohio uses a measurement called a "mill" to figure out tax rates. Think of 1 mill as paying $1 for every $1,000 of your home's taxable value.
• The 2-Mill Fire Levy: For a home valued at $100,000 (taxable value of $35,000), a 2-mill levy costs $70 a year.
• The 0.5-Mill EMS Staff Levy: On that same home, this smaller levy costs $17.50 a year.
4. Inflation shield: Your levy taxes don’t go up just because home values do
Many people worry that if inflation causes local home values to skyrocket, their levy taxes will skyrocket too. In Ohio, a special law prevents this.
• When voters approve a fire or EMS levy, they are approving a fixed total dollar amount for the department to collect.
• If everyone's home value in Hicksville goes up, the county legally has to lower the levy's tax rate so the department doesn't get a giant cash windfall and you don't get overcharged.
• The only way the department gets more money from an existing levy is if someone builds a brand-new house or business in town, adding a brand-new taxpayer to the pool.
5. Automatic discounts for homeowners
Before you ever see your final tax bill, the county automatically shaves a bit off the top:
• The 10% Discount: Every residential property in Ohio automatically gets 10% taken off their tax bill.
• The 2.5% Owner Discount: If you actually live in the Hicksville home you own (it's not a rental property or a business), the state gives you another 2.5% discount.
