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Taylor Abbott Helping to Move Monroe County Forward

WOODSFIELD — Monroe County Treasurer Taylor Abbott, along with his staff, has helped to modernize the county office, making it easier for residents to pay their taxes.

When Abbott first ran for office he promised voters a modern and efficient operation that would utilize state-of-the-art technology to better serve the needs of residents. Since he took office in 2017, he said he has provided just that.

“When I campaigned, I campaigned on several fronts. I wanted to upgrade the office, provide more modern services — credit card payments, website, online — bring everything into the 21st century because people pay everything online today. It’s not a new concept. People hardly pay cash anymore. They use credit and debit cards pretty much everywhere they go, so for me I wanted to upgrade the office to make paying your taxes as easy, pain-free and efficient as possible,” he said.

The treasurer’s office now accepts credit card payments and has multiple payment options available for residents, including in-person, online, by phone, by mail and through a dropbox.

One of the biggest things the office has managed to accomplish is to tackle the county’s delinquent payments, Abbott said.

“Our delinquency rate is now, if not the lowest, one of the lowest in the state. And so far, up until this point, we’ve collected $4 million in delinquent taxes, which is huge for the county,” he said. “Since we took office, over 100 taxpayers have been able to pay off their delinquent taxes, get current and stay current.”

Abbott said one of the ways they were able to do this was by offering an ACH, or automated clearing house, option that allows for automatic payment deductions from a taxpayer’s bank account free of charge. He said there are three ways taxpayers can use this option – monthly, semi-annually or annually for real estate or manufactured home taxes. It is similar to an escrow program, he noted.

“We calculate what your taxes would be, figure out the monthly amount and you’re not getting hit with a twice a year lump sum payout that you have to do when you pay your taxes. We’ve not just done that for people who are delinquent but also offered it to anyone. … That way they know that each month they’ve paid it and there’s money going toward their upcoming bill,” he said, adding that residents can sign up for the plan by contacting the treasurer’s office.

Abbott was recognized by the Ohio Auditor of State last year for implementing the new program. His office received a “Good Government Spotlight,” a recognition that highlights different entities in the state for positive work in their communities.

“It highlighted our ACH program and advancements that our office has made,” he said.

He was also appointed to the State Treasurers Regional Advisory Board and invited to join a panel at the County Treasurers’ Association Upper Ohio Conference.

Abbott also recently helped to create the county’s first land bank, known as the Monroe County Land Reutilization Corp., to help raze dilapidated buildings in the community. He said the land bank has secured $500,000 with plans to obtain additional funds through the state this year.

“We’ve identified a number of properties in the county and continue to identify properties that are eligible for the land bank to take on. If they are rundown, dilapidated and not salvageable, then we have the capability to take those properties, raze them and get those properties back into taxpayer hands,” he said. “That’s the complete goal of the land bank is to clean up blight and get these properties that are abandoned and delinquent back into taxpayers’ hands. It’s a win-win for the county because you’re cleaning up the appearance of the county and you’re putting it into responsible taxpayer hands,” he said.

Abbott said he and his staff are always looking for new ways to innovate in the office.

“There’s not much to look back on, we look forward. If there’s a new technology, we always are looking at it to see if it will work here (in the county) and if it’s something we can do here. We’re always looking to make it more convenient and easier for the taxpayers to do what they need to do at our office,” he said. “For me, I look forward to our investment portfolio and I’m always looking for new ways for the county to always have a flow of money coming in.”

Abbott said he and his staff are a “forward-thinking office” that tries to plan ahead. Since being elected, he has been able to double the county’s investment portfolio and has collected more than $180 million in property taxes.

“I love this county, and it’s an honor to serve here. My staff and I are honored to have the privilege, and we appreciate the support and feedback we receive,” he said.

Abbott credits the success of his office to his dedicated staff.

“The staff here are the stars of the office. They’re what makes everything in this office a success.There isn’t a single elected official that could do what they do without their staff, and this is no exception here. We work great together, and I’m honored to have them as my staff,” he said, adding that he could not say enough positive things about them all.

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