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Fans of the television series, “The Drew Carey Show,” probably already know a lot about Cuyahoga County, even if they don’t realize it. Home of the host of the “Price is Right,” Cuyahoga County also attracts 18 million visitors each year due to the world-class zoo, museums and even the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. With more surface water area than land, Cuyahoga County is also a paradise for watersports enthusiasts, including nearby Lake Erie and all that it offers. Helping keep these and a legion of other important services is the Cuyahoga County Auditor who is known as its Fiscal Officer who accounts for more than one billion dollars in county assets each year. The role of the Fiscal Officer is described following some interesting information about Cuyahoga County below.
Originally part of the French colony of Canada and located in the northeast corner of Ohio, Cuyahoga County is named for the Iroquoian term for “crooked river,” a name that is attributable to the eponymous Cuyahoga River which bisects the county. With a population of nearly 1.25 million people, Cuyahoga County is the second-most populous county in Ohio with its county seat at Cleveland. The county’s total area is 1,246 square miles, with more water (788 square miles) than land (around 457 square miles), also making it the second largest county in Ohio by total area. Today, Cuyahoga County is home to 319,996 families and 571,457 households, with about two-thirds being white, nearly 30% African American, and smaller percentages of Hispanics, Native Americans, Asians, and Pacific Islanders. As of 2010, the median family income in Cuyahoga County was 58,631 and the median household income was $43,603.
Cuyahoga County features several international, regional and county airports, including the Cuyahoga County Airport, Cleveland Hopkins International Airport and Cleveland Burke Lakefront Airport. In addition, Cleveland Metroparks maintains more than 21,000 acres of green space and recreational resources including the beautiful Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Visitors and residents alike can also enjoy a number of world-class offerings in Cuyahoga County, including the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Baseball Heritage Museum, Lake Erie Nature & Science Center, the Children’s Museum of Cleveland, the Polka Hall of Fame and Museum, and the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. Likewise, nearby Lake Erie offers several lighthouses, beaches, boating and fishing and the Greater Cleveland Aquarium attracts visitors from all over the world. In addition, Cuyahoga County is the home to more than a dozen philharmonic and symphony orchestras and several theaters featuring live performances of well-known stars. Helping to keep all of this operating smoothly is the Cuyahoga County Fiscal Officer whose important role is described below.
The Cuyahoga County Fiscal Officer, Mr. Dennis G. Kennedy, CPA, is an officer of the court who maintains his office at the Cuyahoga County Administrative Headquarters. The Fiscal Officer is responsible for accounting for all monies received by the county each year (more than a billion dollars in 2016), as well as for issuing checks for the county’s accounts payable, including distributing tax dollars. In addition, the Fiscal Officer maintains all county funds as well as official records for fund balances, disbursements and receipts. Besides these weighty responsibilities, the Fiscal Officer is also charged with:
-Serving as the paymaster for county employees;
-Distributing gasoline taxes, estate taxes, fines, and local government funds in addition to real estate, personal property and manufactured homes taxes;
-Preparing the county’s annual financial report;
-Filing homestead exemptions;
-Issuing various licenses (i.e. dogs, vendors and cigarette dealers);
-Registering all manufactured housing;
-Performing initial real estate assessments for more than 511,000 land parcels and reappraisals every 6 years;
-Performing veteran grave searches;
-Administering the 2 1/2% Property Tax Reduction Law enacted in 1979 for residential parcels and for all agricultural parcels on which there is a home site occupied by the owner; and,
-Serving as the Sealer of Weights and Measures county-wide except for Cleveland and ensuring that all state weights and measures laws are enforced.
-To serve the citizens of Cuyahoga County better, the Fiscal Officer also maintains a call center and useful Web site (see link above) that includes contact information for each department head as well as information concerning the various services offered.
Full address:
Mr. Dennis G. Kennedy, CPA
Cuyahoga County Administrative Headquarters
2079 East Ninth Street
Cleveland, OH 44115
Phone:
216-443-7010
Fax:
216-443-8193
Email:
Lisa Rocco, Director of Operations
lrocco@cuyahogacounty.us
Hours of operation:
Monday through Friday: 8:30 am – 4:30 pm (closed on observed holidays)
Besides the wide array of world-class attractions and recreational resources, the citizens of Cuyahoga County also enjoy the numerous protections and professional services offered by its Fiscal Officer and his dedicated but largely behind-the-scene staff. In fact, even short-term visitors to Cuyahoga County may not know it but they are also protected by the Fiscal Officer’s ensuring that all vendors (and dogs) are licensed and the weights and measures laws are strictly enforced. Clearly, Drew Carey was right when he proclaimed “Ohio rocks!” but it is unsung heroes such as the Cuyahoga County Fiscal Officer who ensure that it will keep on rockin’ in the future.