Ohio Residents Rage After School District Takes $28.5M More in Taxes

Ohio residents are facing an estimated $28.5 million tax overcollection after a clerical error affected nine school districts in Cuyahoga County.

County officials said incorrect tax rates led the districts to collect more money than intended from Ohio property owners.

According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Sean Nuccio, treasurer for Parma City Schools, was the first to identify the discrepancy and promptly notified the county.

Rather than issuing individual refund checks, county officials are pursuing a plan to reduce collections from emergency levies over the next several years, allowing the overpayment to be gradually offset.

The county subsequently sent an official letter to the affected school districts explaining the error.

The letter stated that some Ohio properties were reappraised in 2024, but the tax rates for several school districts were not properly adjusted before property tax bills were issued in 2025.

‘The Budget Commission appears to have correctly estimated tax rates for fixed-sum levies early in 2024. But once final property values were known, those estimated rates should have been updated before taxes were billed,’ the letter said.

As a result, the districts collected millions of dollars in additional revenue by mistake.

A clerical error in tax rates led nine Cuyahoga County school districts to collect an estimated $28.5 million more from Ohio residents than intended, county officials said

Sean Nuccio, treasurer for Parma City Schools, was reportedly the first to discover the tax discrepancy and alert county officials

The excess collections included $947,427 from Brooklyn, $1,814,820 from Euclid, $611,346 from Fairview Park, $4,094,838 from Garfield Heights, $510,766 from Independence, $2,960,256 from Maple Heights, $4,084,876 from North Royalton and $804,641 from Warrensville Heights.

Parma recorded the largest discrepancy, with the district collecting an estimated $12,710,639 more than it should have.

The county letter said similar tax-rate errors occurred in Ashtabula, Carroll, Champaign, Fayette, Henry, Logan and Preble counties.

Kelly Woodward, a county spokesperson, told the Cleveland Plain Dealer that Clark Schaefer Hackett, the county’s independent auditor, and the Auditor of State determined the additional money was ‘not material for Cuyahoga County.’

Woodward confirmed that officials are working to recover the money for taxpayers.

‘The affected school districts are voluntarily working with the Fiscal Office to reduce their fixed-sum levy rates for a two-year period to offset the overcollection to address this matter,’ Woodward told the outlet.

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Under the proposed arrangement, taxpayers would pay less toward emergency levies until the excess amount has been offset.

Nuccio has been negotiating a three-year adjustment plan for Parma, while other districts are adopting two-year arrangements.

County spokesperson Kelly Woodward told the Cleveland Plain Dealer that affected school districts are voluntarily working with the Fiscal Office to reduce their fixed-sum levy rates

The proposed adjustment plan has sparked online criticism from Ohio residents concerned about the time it could take to offset the overcollection

The proposal has drawn criticism online, with residents questioning why it could take up to three years to offset the excess collections.

‘This “getting paid back over time” doesn’t work. What if you were overcharged and you had sold your house last week? So; the new people get your refund? This is very unacceptable for multiple reasons!’ one user wrote.

‘Over 2 – 3 years?? Seriously?? No, it is returned immediately with a penalty discount and interest. If I was late on paying it, I would be charged a penalty PLUS interest,’ another commenter wrote.

Another user wrote: ‘That is NOT a solution. If I overpaid you and sold my home yesterday; the new owners will get my refund by the end of “reduction” in taxes! Not acceptable!’

Nuccio told the Cleveland Plain Dealer that Parma has set aside funds that could help cushion the impact of lower tax collections, although the money will not fully resolve the issue.

‘Those funds are already committed and are not available to address the district’s ongoing budget challenges,’ Nuccio told the outlet.

County officials initially notified the affected districts about a special Board of Revision meeting scheduled for August to address the ‘clerical error.’ The meeting was later cancelled.

It remains unclear whether the meeting has been rescheduled.

Woodward urged Ohio residents with questions about the upcoming changes to contact the county’s fiscal office at 216-443-7010.

Our News Outlet has contacted Clark Schaefer Hackett, Parma School District, Kelly Woodward and Sean Nuccio for comment.