The Jonathan Alder Local Schools' Board of Education voted in a meeting Tuesday to consider legal action against Union County Treasurer Andrew Smarra. The board claims mailers that Smarra sent to Union County residents regarding estimated property reevaluations influenced the outcome of the vote on the district鈥檚 levy.
Initial reporting had the district鈥檚 levy failing by 12 votes. On Thursday, Madison County certified their election, narrowing that difference to only six votes. Officials are expecting a recount to be completed in early December.
The board invited Smarra to their Tuesday meeting, which he did attend. The board grilled Smarra for more than 20 minutes, questioning the motive and timing of the mailers, which started to arrive in Union County residents' mail boxes on Nov. 3, the day before the election. This was also the first time in Smarra鈥檚 10-year tenure that mailers were sent out.
Smarra鈥檚 rebuttal was that estimated property tax increases that residents would see are larger than in years past and that he wished to give taxpayers more time to adjust their budgets.
鈥淲e were looking at an average of 30% increases in the county,鈥� Smarra said in an interview with 星空无限传媒. 鈥淚 think it's important for people to have an understanding, because most people do not pay attention and this is an indictment upon us as public officials that we're not doing a great job of educating people.鈥�
Smarra鈥檚 decision to send out the mailers has been criticized by several Union County officials. In an email to 星空无限传媒, Union County Auditor Andrea Weaver said that Smarra鈥檚 portrayal of the tax increases are misleading. Average estimated increases for the 2025 reappraisal in Union County are a 27.15% increase. However, this value of rate increase is not unprecedented. In 2022, the county saw an average 29.24% increase.
Smarra said in the wake of the 2022 increases, his office received a number of angry calls from county residents. He stated that this experience informed his decision to send out the mailers.
Weaver also noted the timing of Smarra鈥檚 mailers as odd. Smarra told 星空无限传媒 that he sent the copies of the mailer to a printing company on Oct. 29, but Weaver stated that the final abstract that is sent to the state was completed and submitted two days later, on Oct. 31.
Those values also only recently received approval from the state on Nov. 12.
Weaver said that in the first week of August, the Union County Auditor鈥檚 Office sent out postcards notifying property owners that estimated property tax rate changes were available to view on their website.
Members of Jonathan Alder Local Schools' Board of Education also doubted Smarra鈥檚 reasoning, citing the timing of the mailers as reason for their anger.
鈥淸The mailer] speaks to a political agenda that you had a levy you wanted to tank. I don't know if it was ours, but it was somebody's levy that you wanted to tank,鈥� said Bruce Hooley, a board of education member, to Smarra at the meeting.
Hooley was also the member who introduced the motion to explore legal action against Smarra.
In discussion of the motion, Hooley said, 鈥淸Smarra] has caused us irreparable damage in our district with his actions, which were malicious despite what he says.鈥�
Smarra said that the timing of the mailers was not malicious. He also said Jonathan Alder鈥檚 levy never crossed his mind.
鈥淭hat was not part of my consideration, the election, whatsoever,鈥� Smarra said. 鈥淢y consideration is not about elections. My consideration鈥檚 about taxpayers.鈥�
However, both the school board and Weaver feel Smarra鈥檚 actions influenced voters.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know how a reasonable person, living in Ohio, also living in Union County, with six levies on the ballot (four of which were for 鈥渘ew鈥� revenue) would not have been impacted when they received a letter, ostensibly from Union County,鈥� Weaver wrote. 鈥淭o receive a letter that appears legitimate with words and amounts that are very disturbing, in my opinion, could鈥檝e impacted a person鈥檚 vote on requests for additional tax revenue鈥ctually for any levy request.鈥�
Union County is set to certify its election on Monday.