(A) On the first business day of each month, and at the end of the officer's term of office, each officer named in section 325.27 of the Revised Code shall pay into the county treasury, to the credit of the general county fund, on the warrant of the county auditor, all fees, costs, penalties, percentages, allowances, and perquisites collected by the officer's office during the preceding month or part thereof for official services, except the fees allowed the county auditor by division (C) of section 319.54 of the Revised Code, which shall be paid into the county treasury to the credit of the real estate assessment fund hereby created.

(B) Moneys to the credit of the real estate assessment fund may be expended, upon appropriation by the board of county commissioners, for the purpose of defraying one or more of the following:

(1) The cost incurred by the county auditor in assessing real estate pursuant to Chapter 5713. of the Revised Code and manufactured and mobile homes pursuant to Chapter 4503. of the Revised Code;

(2) At the county auditor's discretion, costs and expenses incurred by the county auditor in preparing the list of real and public utility property, in administering laws related to the taxation of real property and the levying of special assessments on real property, including administering reductions under Chapters 319. and 323. and section 4503.065 of the Revised Code, and to support assessments of real property in any administrative or judicial proceeding;

(3) At the county auditor's discretion, the expenses incurred by the county board of revision under Chapter 5715. of the Revised Code;

(4) At the county auditor's discretion, the expenses incurred by the county auditor for geographic information systems, mapping programs, and technological advances in those or similar systems or programs;

(5) At the county auditor's discretion, expenses incurred by the county auditor in compiling the general tax list of tangible personal property and administering tangible personal property taxes under Chapters 5711. and 5719. of the Revised Code;

(6) At the county auditor's discretion, costs, expenses, and fees incurred by the county auditor in the administration of estate taxes under Chapter 5731. of the Revised Code and the amounts incurred under section 5731.41 of the Revised Code.

Any expenditures made from the real estate assessment fund shall comply with rules that the tax commissioner adopts under division (O) of section 5703.05 of the Revised Code. Those rules shall include a requirement that a copy of any appraisal plans, progress of work reports, contracts, or other documents required to be filed with the tax commissioner shall be filed also with the board of county commissioners.

The board of county commissioners shall not transfer moneys required to be deposited in the real estate assessment fund to any other fund. Following an assessment of real property pursuant to Chapter 5713. of the Revised Code, or an assessment of a manufactured or mobile home pursuant to Chapter 4503. of the Revised Code, any moneys not expended for the purpose of defraying the cost incurred in assessing real estate or manufactured or mobile homes or for the purpose of defraying the expenses described in divisions (B)(2), (3), (4), (5), and (6) of this section, and thereby remaining to the credit of the real estate assessment fund, shall be apportioned ratably and distributed to those taxing authorities that contributed to the fund. However, no such distribution shall be made if the amount of such unexpended moneys remaining to the credit of the real estate assessment fund does not exceed five thousand dollars.

(C) None of the officers named in section 325.27 of the Revised Code shall collect any fees from the county. Each of such officers shall, at the end of each calendar year, make and file a sworn statement with the board of county commissioners of all such fees, costs, penalties, percentages, allowances, and perquisites which have been due in the officer's office and unpaid for more than one year prior to the date such statement is required to be made.

Effective Date: 03-30-1999; 06-30-2005; 2007 HB119 06-30-2007 .