DELAWARE — Two candidates are running for Delaware County auditor ahead of the May 5 primary election: incumbent George Kaitsa and Don Rankey.
Both Kaitsa and Rankey are Republicans. No Democratic or Libertarian candidates filed for the race, and no other candidates appear on the primary ballot.
With no opposition from other parties, the Republican primary will effectively decide the next county auditor.
The Delaware County auditor serves as the county’s chief fiscal officer, responsible for overseeing more than $528 million in annual revenue. The office manages county finances, processes payments for government operations and distributes tax revenue to local governments and public services.
Those distributions support a wide range of services across the county, including 19 townships, six villages, four cities, 17 school districts, a park board, four library systems and other county agencies.
The winner of the May 5 primary is expected to run unopposed in the November general election. The Delaware County auditor serves a four-year term and earns $119,149 annually as of 2026.
Both auditor candidates were given the opportunity to answer the same set of questions from Delaware Source:
- Your full name:
- Your address:
- Your date of birth:
- What is your educational attainment (including where you graduated from)?
- What is your current occupation?
- Have you held previous elected office? If so, list the office and years served:
- Why are you seeking this particular office?
- What are the top three issues you will address if elected? And how would you address them? (Be specific):
- List the top three things that differentiate you from your opponent(s)? (Be specific):
- Other thoughts you would like to share?
Their responses appear below, edited only for clarity.
George Kaitsa
Full name: George Kaitsa Jr.
Residency: Powell
Age: 82
Education: I have a degree in Economics from Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio, and an MBA from The Ohio State University.
Current occupation: Delaware County auditor
Have you held a previous elected office? If so, list the office and years served: I have also served as a member of Powell City Council for ten years and served two terms as
Vice President of Powell City Council.
Why are you seeking this particular office?
I am the most qualified candidate running for this office, and I am running on my record of
professionalism and integrity. I was the overwhelming choice of the Delaware County
Republican Central Committee as the highly qualified candidate for the office of county
auditor.
I have the endorsement of every county office holder, except the judges who cannot
endorse candidates for office. I also have the endorsement of the legislators who represent
Delaware County (Sen. Andrew Brenner, Rep. Brian Lorenz and Rep. Beth Lear).
I have completed approximately 500 hours of continuing education related to the duties and responsibilities of serving as county auditor and have received the “Distinguished Auditor Award” in 2012, 2017 and 2022 for that training and continuing education.
I have completed the IAAO Course 300 for mass appraisal. I have a background in public finance and administration, as well as public accounting and auditing standards.
I have been instrumental in securing four Triple A credit ratings for Delaware County debt issues. Based on the solid financial statements prepared by the County and the financial strength of Delaware County, our current refunding of County debt will save taxpayers an estimated $1.5 million in lower interest costs.
I have refunded $19.7 million in surplus real estate fees to the local jurisdictions and school districts to be used for providing additional services to county residents and students.
I have worked with the County Commissioners to voluntarily reduce the inside millage allocated to the County, saving taxpayers $24.9 million in lower taxes since 2022.
What are the top three issues you will address if elected? How would you address them?
The 20-mill floor for some school districts in Delaware County has resulted in unvoted tax increases for taxpayers. I have worked with our Auditors’ Association and supported the need for property tax reform to limit the increases to no more than the rate of inflation.
House Bill 186 and House Bill 335 have been enacted and will limit the future tax increases to no more than the rate of inflation, making property taxes more predictable.
Delaware County is considered a wealthy county and receives less state foundation formula funding for our local school districts, forcing the school districts to rely more heavily on property taxes.
I am concerned about the erosion of the tax base through the use of tax increment financing and abatements to promote economic development. These tax exemptions erode the tax base by redirecting funds from their original voted purpose.
I have supported the need to provide tax relief to our senior citizens on fixed incomes by modernizing the homestead exemption program to reflect current economic conditions, specifically by increasing the amount of the exemption to $70,000 and by increasing the income eligibility threshold or eliminating the income eligibility entirely.
I have discussed this need with our legislators. However, these changes need to be adopted by the Ohio Legislature.
What differentiates you from your opponent?
My role as county auditor is to safeguard taxpayer dollars and to maintain the standard of excellence in the preparation of the county’s financial statements, supported by clean financial audits.
Under my leadership, the County has had 16 consecutive clean audits and has received the GFOA Certificate of Excellence on each occasion. When Delaware County received the Ohio Auditor of State Award with Distinction last December, I was specifically recognized for my “leadership, professionalism and exceptional commitment to fiscal integrity.”
It is very concerning to note that my opponent does not understand the duties and responsibilities incumbent upon the county auditor as prescribed in law and reflected when taking the oath of office.
My opponent’s lack of understanding is reflected in his promise to not raise taxes and to not conduct a reappraisal as required by law. As a county auditor, I take an oath of office affirming the fact that I will uphold the Constitution and the laws of the State of Ohio.
Other thoughts you’d like to share?
My opponent’s commitment to not raising taxes is an “empty promise.”
Rising property taxes are the result of levies passed by the voters. As county auditor, I do not have the statutory authority to raise or lower property taxes.
By law, the auditor is required to administer the tax rates as they are certified by the tax commissioner. In fact, House Bill 309 mandates that a levy passed by the voters must be collected as adopted in its first year of collection before any adjustment to the levy can be considered by the Budget Commission.
My opponent has said that he is not going to perform the upcoming reappraisal. Again, that is a requirement in state law. As county auditor, I do not have the legal authority to decide whether or not I am going to conduct a reappraisal.
As an agent of the Tax Commissioner, I am required by law to perform appraisals of real property as a part of my duties as county auditor. The law mandates that properties must be appraised or updated every three years based on the sales prices of properties during each appraisal cycle.
The methodology for conducting the reappraisals is also prescribed in law. My responsibility and duty are to conduct those reappraisals every three years, as mandated by law and according to the methodology that is also prescribed in state law.
There has been plenty of “misinformation” spread by my opponent that property taxes have gone up by 35 percent to 50 percent because of the reappraisal process. My opponent has confused property values, which have gone up by 35 percent on a county-wide average, with property taxes, which have gone up by 4 percent to 5 percent for school districts that were not at the 20-mill floor because the tax reduction factor was allowed to reduce the tax rate in conjunction with the reappraisal.
For school districts that were at the 20-mill floor, taxes did increase by 15 percent to 17 percent, depending on the school district, because the 20-mill floor prevented the tax reduction factor from lowering the tax rate in those school districts.
This unvoted tax increase will be refunded to property owners as an “inflation cap credit” on their second-half tax bills.
In general, rising property values are a good thing for homeowners when the tax reduction factor is allowed to work as intended because rising property values provide increasing equity for homeowners.
Don Rankey
Full name: Donald Rankey Jr.
Residency: Powell
Age: 68
Education: Capital University, B.S. in Business Administration, Alumni of the Year Award 2022. Ohio Licensed Realtor since 1979. Ohio Licensed Commercial Real Estate Broker Since 1983.
Current occupation: CEO and President of Homelife Companies Inc., Managing Member for Homelife Properties Ltd. and Principal Commercial Broker for Homelife Real Estate Company.
Have you held a previous elected office? If so, list the office and years served: Delaware County Treasurer, 2020-2024. Delaware County Finance Authority, Treasurer and Chief Fiscal Officer, 2015-2020. Delaware City Councilman at Large, 1998-2000.
Why are you seeking this particular office?
I am seeking the office of Delaware County auditor because it is a role that carries significant responsibility for how taxpayer dollars are managed, reported and communicated.
During my time as Treasurer, I saw firsthand how crucial the auditor’s office is to property valuations, financial transparency and ensuring that schools, townships and county services receive the funding they rely on.
Stepping into this position would allow me to apply my financial management experience, vast national real estate experience and operational background to strengthen accountability, improve clarity for residents and modernize processes where it benefits the public.
My goal is to ensure every dollar is handled responsibly and that taxpayers have a clear understanding of how their money is used. In 2023, the current auditor paid a firm based in Plano, TX, a whopping $2.75 million to conduct a windshield appraisal in Delaware County.
What did the taxpayers get for those 2.75 million dollars of taxpayers’ money? They got an $80 million increase in real estate taxes and an overreach of evaluations, leaving a significant number of Delaware County residents financially upside down. The worst were the much higher evaluations of seniors.
What are the top three issues you will address if elected? How would you address them?
I am not a career politician but a businessman who will protect seniors and taxpayers from rising property taxes.
I will foster programs to help ease the over-taxation of Delaware County homeowners, just as I did over the last five years as the county treasurer. This includes streamlining the Board of Revision processes and increasing the annual open period to file a Board of Revision Complaint from March 31 to June 30.
Delaware County’s rapid growth has driven property valuations higher, creating real pressure for seniors and others living on fixed incomes. If elected auditor, I would take practical steps that give residents relief and clarity.
This includes advancing my “50-75-100” senior property tax framework, which provides significant reductions in the school portion of the property taxes for residents beginning at age 70. 50 percent reduction at age 70; 75 percent reduction at age 75, and 100 percent reduction at age 80.
I will table the 2027 tri-annual revaluation until the Ohio Legislators pass the necessary legislation to finally establish a fair real estate tax program.
I would work to ensure that all reappraisals and annual updates are data-driven, transparent and applied consistently.
I would also expand public education around the valuation process, and as mentioned above, I will make the Board of Revision system easier for homeowners to navigate.
Greater transparency and public access to financial information. Residents should be able to easily understand how their tax dollars are collected, allocated and distributed.
I would build on the county’s existing online tools by adding clearer explanations, summaries and dashboards that help people see where the money goes and how decisions are made. Improving accessibility and clarity would help strengthen public trust and make financial information more useful to taxpayers.
Continued modernization and operational efficiency. Efficient systems save time and money for both the county and its residents.
Drawing on my experience in the private sector and as Treasurer, I would work with staff to identify opportunities to streamline processes, reduce paperwork and speed up the distribution of tax revenues to schools and local governments.
I would also focus on maintaining the high standards of financial reporting that have earned the county recognition from the auditor of state, while keeping costs down and improving taxpayer service.
Other thoughts you’d like to share?
This primary is straightforward and important for every taxpayer in Delaware County.
First, the timeline matters. The only election that will determine the next Delaware County auditor is the Republican Primary on May 5.
Because no other candidate filed for the general election, the winner of the May 5 primary will take office with no further contest in November. That means the decision rests entirely with Republican primary voters.
If you are not a registered Republican but support the “50-75-100” Senior Property Tax Relief plan or my position on pausing the 2027 triennial revaluation until the Ohio Legislature reforms the system, I encourage you to share that with your Republican friends, neighbors and family members.
Second, I strongly recommend voting early in person. Early in-person voting is already underway at the Board of Elections and at several convenient locations across the county. Casting your ballot early is the most reliable way to ensure your vote is counted.
After 17 years in the same elected office, it is healthy for our system of government to have fresh leadership and new ideas. I am running because I believe seniors on fixed incomes should not be pushed out of their homes due to rising property valuations and school levy taxes, and that the next round of valuation increases should be paused until meaningful statewide reform is enacted.
The primary challenge for the Delaware City auditor race really is that simple:
If you want continued 35 to 60 percent property tax increases and the status quo from the 17-year incumbent, who is 82 and will be 83 at the start of the next term, that is your choice.
If you want real, immediate relief for seniors and a pause on the 2027 tax hike, I ask you to vote in person today or pull the lever for Don Rankey on Tuesday, May 5.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. I’m running to serve you, and I would be honored to earn your vote.
