Property tax rates drop in Wayne Co.

Property tax rates in all 35 Wayne County taxing districts are lower for 2025 payments than in 2024.

That seems like good news, but it doesn’t necessarily mean lower property tax bills. The 2025 total payments, with half due in May and half due in November, are based on 2024 property assessments. Higher assessments lead to lower tax rates.

The rates, which are established by the state Department of Local Government Finance, also do not matter to those benefiting from Indiana’s property tax cap. Voters instituted the caps to regulate how much they pay in property taxes, choosing to limit contributions to county and local taxing entities. 

For residential properties that serve as a primary residence and receive a homestead tax deduction, the tax cap is 1% of the gross assessed value. Residents pay that amount if it’s less than the tax they’d pay when their tax rate is applied to the property’s net assessed value, which is the gross assessed value minus any deductions. 

Tax caps are 2% for other residential and agricultural land and 3% for other real and personal property, meaning those owners do not pay more than 2% or 3% of the gross assessed value.

Wayne County tax rates range from Boston Township’s 1.8443 to Richmond-Center district’s 4.4972. A Boston Township resident would pay $1.8443 per $100 of net assessed value, while a Richmond-Center resident would pay $4.4972 per $100 of net assessed value, if that tax amount is less than the tax cap amount.

The Economy taxing district saw the largest tax-rate reduction this year at 0.3065. It was followed by Dublin at 0.2935 and Hagerstown at 0.2716.

Julia McCarty, the clerk-treasurer for Dublin, said the town budgeted as normal, trying to be fiscally responsible for citizens, but it did not take specific steps to lower the tax rate.

A resident’s tax rate is the sum of multiple smaller tax rates. For example, Wayne County’s 0.8579 rate is part of all residential rates within the county. Townships, libraries, schools, and cities and towns implement taxes. The Wayne County rate is 0.0794 less than the rate paid in 2024 and is the lowest it’s been since 2019 payments. 

Auditor Mark Hoelscher said more miscellaneous income found helps reduce the tax rate. 

The maximum tax levy established by the state also influences the tax rate. The levy is limited to 4% annual growth. The state sets the maximum and sets the tax rate, so when the rate is applied to the tax district’s assessed value, it generates the levy amount of income.

For this year, Wayne County did not claim the maximum levy amount, because Hoelscher returned a state form prior to receiving Wayne County Council permission. Some council members were critical of that decision during a November meeting.

Hoelscher said he wants to ease the burden on county taxpayers by seeking voluntary contributions from tax-exempt properties. Nonprofits, such as schools and churches, do not pay property taxes, raising the amount residents must pay to reach the levy amount.

Hoelscher hopes to reduce the amount county residents must pay by talking to tax-exempt entities and encouraging contributions.

With the spring property tax installment due May 12, Wayne County residents can learn how much they owe through a link on the treasurer’s website.

They also can find their taxing district and 2024 assessments by locating their property through the county’s GIS site. That information can be used to estimate the 2025 property tax bill on the DLGF’s website.