Cory Johnson, Guernsey County Auditor
Auditor Responsibilities
As your County Auditor, I am responsible for a wide variety of duties that affect every resident of the County. Ohio law places more fiscal responsibility upon the County Auditor than upon any other County Official. As the chief disbursing agent, fiscal officer, and tax assessor I faithfully exercise all power and perform all duties vested in or imposed by general law.
As Chief Fiscal Officer, I am responsible for issuing warrants for liabilities incurred by the County, it’s departments and agencies. The auditor’s office is responsible for the preparation of the County payroll, maintaining all financial records and reports, and establishing taxing rates for manufactured homes and real estate. Once collected, tax receipts are distributed to the appropriate city, village, township, fire district, or school district in accordance with the legally adopted rates.
As Tax Assessor, I am responsible for determining the value of all real property in Guernsey County for tax purposes. Every six years the Auditor must conduct a full reappraisal of real property, and every three years, an update of real property values is required. Tax credits are also maintained in my office, including Owner Occupied Credit, Non-Business Credit and the Homestead Exemption. We also are responsible for the valuation of farm land and the administration of the Current Agricultural Use Value program (CAUV).
It is the duty of the Auditor to perform professionally the statutory duties of County Auditor with integrity, independence, and a spirit of innovation. We strive to provide our services with outstanding customer service while providing the public with access to accurate and reliable public information.
Additional Duties
- Sealing gas pumps, scales and other measuring devices
- Licensing dogs, vendors, and others
- Calculating taxes and administering assessments
- Administering tax exemptions for senior citizens, the disabled, charities, and churches; etc.
- Budget Commission - Secretary
- Board of Revision - Secretary
- Records Commission - Member
A provision enacted in this year's state budget bill (Sub. HB33) would annually tie the Homestead Exemption benefit to the rate of inflation. This means that the value being credited for Homestead would increase from $25,000 for Traditional Homestead and $50,000 for Veteran Homestead each year based on GDP inflation. Because of this, those receiving Homestead would see an increase in savings yearly instead of a flat savings, as is current law.
The budget provision will be effective Oct. 3, 2023, and will first be implemented in 2024 for 2023 property taxes. This is the first improvement to the Homestead Exemption since 2007 and a step in the right direction for future reforms.
** If you are currently on Homestead, your next tax bill will reflect the the increased savings. You do not need to re-apply for the program.
If you are not currently on one of the three types of homestead programs, you have until December 31, 2023 to apply for the reduction.
For more details about each of the three types of Homestead, follow this link.
Cory Johnson was born and raised in Cambridge. In 1999 he graduated from Cambridge High School and with honors from Kent State University in 2003 with a bachelor's degree in business management.
Cory and his wife Kayla were married in 2017, and have two children. Both he and his wife are active members of the Cambridge Rotary.
Cory worked in accounting and finance in the construction equipment industry for 16 years. For the last four of those years, he was the retail finance manager. Since March of 2022, he has been a Deputy Auditor and the Settlement Clerk for the Guernsey County Auditor. Cory is excited for this new opportunity to serve the residents of Guernsey County.
Being County Auditor comes with a great deal of fiscal responsibility. With the seemingly never-ending price increases of everything today, Cory understands every dollar is important. He would like to assure everyone that the Auditor’s office is accessible through the website, by phone, in person, and that he and his staff will be there to assist in any way possible.
As your Guernsey County auditor, he will make sure to do the job to the absolute best of his abilities every single day!
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Location
Guernsey County Administration Bldg.627 Wheeling Avenue, Suite 301
Cambridge, Ohio 43725
Office Hours
Mon-Fri: 8:00 AM - 4:00 PMOffice Closed Holiday Schedule
Phone
(740) 432-9243
Option 1 Real Estate
Option 2 Weights & Measures
Option 3 Licensing
Option 4 Bookkeeping
Option 5 Dial by Name
Property information may be accessed by using the search bar or SEARCH link on the upper right of the page. You can utilize the INFO section on the upper right to view information on the various services offered by this office and access the numerous forms required. In the TOOLS section, you will find various reports and calculators for your convenience. Finally, by clicking the MAPS section you can navigate to a complete list of GIS maps.
| Total Area | 528 sq mi |
| Population (2020) | 38,438 |
| Parcels (2023) | 40,170 |