HAMILTON - Just like many other county residents, some Butler County office-holders did double takes when they received notices informing them of their houses' reappraised market value.

        The reappraisal raised the taxable value of the home of Butler County Area I Court Judge Rob Lyons by 43 percent, from $211,940 to $302,290.

REAPPRAISALS

Among Butler County elected officials, this year's property reappraisal hit the officials listed below the hardest. City, village and township government officials were not considered for the list. The percentage indicates how much the reappraisal raised their property values.   1. Area I Court Judge Rob Lyons - 43% 2. Common Pleas Judge Patricia Oney - 40%   3. Treasurer Carole Mosketti - 39%   4. Commissioner Mike Fox - 38%   5. Prosecutor Robin Piper - 29%   6. Appeals Judge James Walsh - 24%   7. State Rep. Shawn Webster - 23%   8. State Rep. Greg Jolivette - 21%   9. Recorder Danny Crank - 19%   10. Fairfield Municipal Judge Joyce Campbell - 15%   10. Area II Court Judge J.B. Connaughton - 15%   10. Hamilton Municipal Judge John Rosmarin - 15%   Source: Butler County Auditor's Office

        “I'm not happy about it,” said Judge Lyons, who lives in West Chester Township. “I tend to think there must be an error somewhere. I would be delighted if my property value actually went up 43 percent, but I don't think it has.”

        He has the dubious distinction of sustaining the largest property value increase of any county elected official. But there's no political party conspiracy. The top five are Republicans, as is Auditor Kay Rogers, whose West Chester home's $349,790 reappraisal was a 13 percent increase.

        Ms. Rogers' office oversees the reappraisal process, which on average raised values 16 percent.

        Second on the list is Common Pleas Judge Patricia Oney, whose house was reappraised for $200,050, a 40 percent jump. Third is Treasurer Carole Mosketti, whose house is valued at $179,460, a 39 percent increase.

        Commissioner Mike Fox is in fourth place with a $425,500 reappraisal, a 38 percent increase. And Prosecutor Robin Piper is fifth with a $260,320 reappraisal, a 29 percent raise.

        Mr. Fox, of Fairfield Township, couldn't resist joking about his hefty valuation increase, noting the anger that's been expressed by homeowners across the county who were hit with big jumps.

        “In the words of Bill Clinton, I feel their pain,” he said.

        But Mr. Fox became serious when talking about large valuation increases of people of modest or fixed incomes.

        He said he is trying to figure out a way to prevent their valuations from rising so sharply.

        The informal Enquirer survey of elected officials' homes used figures from the auditor's office and excluded city, village and township officials.

        Since the auditor's office sent out reappraisal notices in late July, about 1,700 people seeking to have their reappraisals lowered have set up appointments with the auditor's office.

        Ms. Rogers said that's a small number, considering that notices went out to owners of 140,000 parcels of property.

        The reappraisal was conducted by an independent company hired by the auditor's office.

        Judge Lyons said he would look further into his property valuation before deciding whether to appeal.

        Judge Oney, of Oxford Township, was out of town and unavailable for comment.

        Mrs. Mosketti, of Hamilton, said the 39 percent valuation increase for her house flabbergasted her.

        “I was just as shocked as a lot of other people in the county were with theirs,” she said.

        She said that she and her husband, Robert Mosketti, director of the Butler County Board of Elections, might have two independent appraisers evaluate their house.

        “I haven't had a chance to review the values of the other houses on our street,” she said. “I'm willing to accept a big increase as long as it's a fair valuation. It's very possible we just don't realize the value of our house.”

        Mr. Piper, of Fairfield, said he and his wife, Nancy, believe their valuation is fair and will not appeal.

        “Most of the property taxes go to schools,” he said. “So I can't complain about where my money's going.”

        One way the county can ease the burden of all property owners, Mr. Fox said, is to attract more businesses.

        “That's why I keep harping on the importance of diversifying our tax base,” he said. “If we don't diversify, more of the tax burden will fall on the homeowner.”

        Learning about the high property reappraisals of some Butler County officials provided no consolation for ordinary citizens like Brian Coveyou and Jack Grady. Both West Chester Township residents believe their property valuations are too high.

        Mr. Coveyou said the reappraisal is one of the reasons he and his wife, Annmarie, have decided to move from West Chester to nearby Liberty Township.

        The new valuation will drive his property taxes from $2,450 to $3,800 a year, he said.

        Mr. Grady said the reappraisal increased the value of the house he lives in by 22 percent and a house he rents by 37 percent.

        “A Realtor just appraised the house I'm renting at $37,000,” he said. “The reappraisal was at $47,000.”

        He went to the auditor's office to discuss the reappraisals.

        “They were noncommittal,” Mr. Grady said. “It was a drive-by review. It's very subjective. So if you have a house that's a rose in a daisy patch, you get screwed. If you have a house that's a daisy in a rose patch, you don't.”

        The appraisers set a fair-market value for a piece of property after viewing it from the street for exterior changes and after reviewing market sales, building costs, land costs and other market data, the auditor's office said.

        Ms. Rogers said she encourages anyone who disagrees with the reappraisal to appeal it. People can call the auditor's office at 785-5113 and make an appointment to discuss it with a staff member.

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