Voters Guide: Keith vs. Kordalis for Montgomery County Auditor

The candidates for Montgomery County Auditor in the Nov. 8, 2022 election are Karl Kordalis (left) and Karl Keith (right)

The candidates for Montgomery County Auditor in the Nov. 8, 2022 election are Karl Kordalis (left) and Karl Keith (right)

All candidates for local and state office were sent the same series of questions by the Dayton Daily News. Our goal was to help voters make informed choices in the Nov. 8 election (early voting for which begins Oct. 12).

The race for Montgomery County Auditor is between incumbent Democrat Karl Keith and Republican challenger Karl George Kordalis. The candidates’ answers are below, in their own words. Candidates are listed in alphabetical order.

Karl Keith

Residence: Dayton

Organizations, boards, previous elected positions: Board Member, Friends of Levitt Pavilion; Past President, County Auditors Association of Ohio; Past President, Ashland University Alumni Board of Directors; Member, Ohio Government Finance Officers Association; Member, Montgomery County Farm Bureau; Lifetime Member, Dayton Unit NAACP

Education: M.A. Miami University, B.A. Ashland College

Current employment: Montgomery County Auditor

Why are you seeking elected office: I have more than 30 years of experience working in the Auditor’s Office, including two decades as your County Auditor. During that time, I have led many initiatives that have improved county services and increased access for our residents. The Auditor’s Office has won numerous awards for those services and initiatives, including three national awards for community engagement and annual awards for excellence in financial management. I have dedicated my life to serving Montgomery County, and I’m running for re-election to continue that award-winning service for the benefit of our residents.

Why should voters elect you: I believe my unmatched experience makes me uniquely qualified to lead this key local office. During my time in office, I have been a leader in the use of new technology and innovative approaches to the auditor’s responsibilities. These innovations have helped make the office more accessible to the public and have allowed us to perform our responsibilities more efficiently. Our use of new technologies in our most recent reappraisal cycle allowed us to save $5 million, which we were able to give back to our local school districts and municipalities.

In addition, my experience has helped me lead the Auditor’s Office through a number of crises. We supported residents through the housing market crash and the Memorial Day tornadoes. I will always be prepared to do what is right for our property owners when market forces or natural disasters threaten their most valuable investment.

Montgomery County Auditor Karl Keith

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If elected, what will be your top three priorities?

1. Protect consumers at the gas pump: With recent dramatic fluctuations in gas prices, it has never been more important to ensure that consumers get what they pay for at the pump. I will also continue to fight back against the ever-evolving threat of credit card skimmers, which returned to gas pumps in other parts of Southwest Ohio earlier this year.

2. Advocate for the expansion of the Homestead Exemption: Our state needs to do more to protect our senior and disabled homeowners on fixed incomes, so I will continue to advocate for the expansion of the Homestead Exemption program. When the Ohio legislature removed the income limit on the Homestead Exemption in 2007, I worked to sign-up more than 29,000 new homeowners to the program in what we called “The Summer of Love.” Since that time, the benefits offered by the Exemption have stayed the same, while costs have increased for our homeowners on fixed incomes.

3. Strengthen preparations for the next natural disaster: No one could have predicted the 2019 Memorial Day tornadoes, which brought damage and destruction to thousands of Montgomery County properties. But we were ready. After the Memorial Day tornadoes, we were able to provide more than $1.7 million in tax relief to more than 1,200 property owners. Since that time, I have been making sure we are even better prepared for the next disaster, because no property owner should be stuck paying a full tax bill on a property that has been damaged or destroyed.

What specific plans do you have to address those top priorities?

1. Protect consumers at the gas pump: Throughout my time in office, we have increased the number of gas pump inspections we perform each year. These inspections make sure that when you pay for a gallon of gas, you get a gallon of gas. They also help us address the credit card skimming crime. As this crime evolves, we will continue to perform proactive skimmer sweeps of vulnerable gas pumps, and work hard to educate the public about how they can protect themselves.

2. Advocate for the expansion of the Homestead Exemption: It is time to expand the benefit offered by the Homestead Exemption, and allow more homeowners to take advantage of the program by increasing or eliminating the income limit. I have been working to encourage legislators to support two bills at the Statehouse that would expand the program. In the meantime, I will continue to promote this important tax relief program and work hard to help eligible property owners sign up.

3. Strengthen preparations for the next natural disaster: Since the Memorial Day tornadoes, we have implemented new technology that quickly identifies changes between two sets of aerial images. This innovation will allow us to more quickly and effectively identify property damage after the next natural disaster. I also advocated for the recently-passed Ohio H.B. 51, which lets county auditors apply for tax relief on behalf of each affected property owner following a disaster. This will help us make sure every owner of damaged property gets the tax relief they need.

Anything else you would like voters to know?

The County Auditor’s Office is an important local government office that provides critical services to the community. I am proud of how my team and I have approached the work to safeguard taxpayer dollars and protect consumers and property owners. My goal is to provide services in a manner that is fair, accessible and transparent. I have demonstrated that kind of leadership in the past and I pledge to continue that kind of leadership in the future.

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Karl George Kordalis

Residence: Washington Twp.

Organizations, boards, previous elected positions: Dayton Bar Association, Dayton REALTORS, Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church

Education: Centerville High School, OSU Undergrad, University of Dayton School of Law

Current employment: Attorney (Kordalis Law Office) & Real Estate Agent

Why are you seeking elected office: Montgomery County is in need of a change. The county has been run by career politicians, like Karl Keith, for far too long. Mr. Keith has been the county auditor since Bill Clinton was President. Under Mr. Keith’s watch, Montgomery County has become one of the highest taxed counties in the State of Ohio and has seen a mass exodus of Fortune 500 Companies (NCR, Mead Paper Company, & Dayco).

Montgomery County remains a strategic location in the Midwest. The county is at the cross roads of two major interstate highways; our county should be a hub for business in the Midwest. I want to make Montgomery County a business-friendly county. I believe lowering property taxes in the county will make it competitive once again in this region. Lowering property taxes will also keep families in Montgomery County. In this time of high inflation families are looking to cut costs and save money. Families have been leaving Montgomery County for surrounding counties such as Warren County because property taxes are lower. I was born and raised in Montgomery County; this is my home. I want to ensure that Montgomery County remains a great place to raise a family. I am not a career politician, nor do I strive to be one. I believe that holding public office should be temporary as this allows for the influx of new ideas.

Why should voters elect you: I am a lifelong resident of Montgomery County and product of the county’s rich public school system, youth sports, and faith community. I currently live less than five minutes away from my childhood home. I am a fiscal conservative and a small business owner. I am a self-motivated person; I am hardworking and earned everything I have. Unlike my opponent, who was gifted the position of Auditor twenty-two years ago by his political party. I possess the knowledge and skills which are required for this position. I have been practicing law for the past decade, operating offices in Dayton and Xenia. I am not beholden to the local political machine and not afraid to make hard decisions. I believe in truth, transparency, and an intellectually honest conversation to determine the best non-partisan solutions.

Montgomery County has been branded as being unfriendly to business. This perception must be reversed starting at the top. We must understand, from the business owner’s perspective, what is desired to locate, expand, or remain in the County. I want Montgomery County to return to being a hub of commerce in the Midwest.

Karl George Kordalis, 2022 candidate for Montgomery County Auditor

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If elected, what will be your top three priorities?

1. Lowering Property Taxes

2. Bring Businesses and Good Paying Jobs Back to Montgomery County

3. Bring the Auditor’s Office into the 21st Century

What specific plans do you have to address those top priorities? It is the duty of the Auditor to see that every parcel of land and the buildings thereon are fairly and uniformly appraised and assessed for tax purposes. Ohio law mandates a general reappraisal every six years with an update at the three-year midpoint. We are coming up on the three-year midpoint assessment in 2023. In 2020, Mr. Keith increased residential property values an average of 15.5% countywide. The Dayton Daily News wrote an article about this “Astronomical Increase” on February 21, 2021. When elected, I will move to reverse these value increases; which in turn would lead to lower property taxes for the people of Montgomery County.

Our Auditor’s Office is in need of becoming more modern. In addition to being a lawyer, I also have my real estate license. I have seen firsthand that how slow the Auditor’s Office has been when it comes to property transfers. I have had client’s wait months before receiving a deed to their home. Further, the Auditor serves as the paymaster for the entire county. I have also seen firsthand where it takes our auditor’s office weeks if not months to pay independent contractors of the county. With payments being sent via paper check, which costs the county money to print and for postage. This isn’t acceptable in 2022.

Anything else you would like voters to know? I believe it is important for the Auditor’s Office to prioritize the safety of our community. I will partner with law enforcement and community groups on strategies to reduce crime and address violent crime in our community. I am the only candidate for Auditor that has been endorsed by local law enforcement in this race. I have the endorsement of FOP 117 & FOP 92.