Her name is on every scale and every gas pump in Stark County.
During a recent club gathering, members of the Alliance Area Republican Club got to put a face to the name of Angela Kinsey, who was appointed as the county auditor in December 2024.
Kinsey said the past year has been rewarding and exciting.
“I’ve just completed my first successful and clean audit,” said Kinsey, who previously spent 13 years as the executive administrator in the office under Alan Harold, who is now serving as a Stark County commissioner. “I never thought that I would hold public office, but I am glad that when the opportunity came up, I stood up and threw my hat in the ring. And I couldn’t be more appreciative of the Republican party for supporting me.”
Kinsey noted that while people have come to know her as the auditor, she knows that much of the general public doesn’t comprehend what all that entails.
“I’m not sure that people understand what all I do, or what all the auditor’s office is responsible for,” said Kinsey, whose office employs 78 people in 15 different departments. “I can tell you that it is quite a production.”
Kinsey spent much of her visit with the Alliance Area Republican Club in a back-and-forth discussion with members regarding the complexities of property valuation, the one aspect that most homeowners associate with the auditor’s office.
Kinsey explained that six employees in the auditor’s office are responsible for appraising more than 200,000 parcels of property throughout the county. This function of the office is intended to ensure that every parcel of land and the building thereon are fairly and uniformly appraised and assessed for tax purposes. A general reappraisal is mandated every six years, with an update at the three-year midpoint.
The office also oversees several key tax exemption programs designed to support homeowners and vulnerable residents, including the 10% property tax rollback for non-commercial owners, the 2.5% owner-occupied credit, and the Homestead Exemption, which reduces taxes for qualifying seniors and disabled individuals.
Once taxes are collected, the auditor distributes funds to schools, senior services, children’s programs, and other public agencies that rely on accurate allocations.
Acting as the county’s chief financial officer, the auditor verifies all expenditures of taxpayer money and prepares comprehensive financial reports used by elected officials, taxpayers, and bond rating agencies.
“Basically, we do all of the accounting for the entire county,” said Kinsey. “We pay all the bills and we do the payroll for the county.”
As the chief administrator of the Automatic Data Processing Board, the auditor manages the county’s information technology systems. This role involves modernizing record-keeping, improving efficiency, reducing costs, and ensuring county offices have the digital tools needed to serve the public effectively.
“We are responsible for the IT for the entire county,” said Kinsey. “I have some very talented individuals that work in my office in the IT department.”
Kinsey explained that many of her goals and focuses have been centered around improving technology and modernization, including updating the microfilm and records center by converting paper records and documents into digital form.
“We are preserving all of those paper files, which are so are so susceptible to fire and flood, by turning them into electronic files so that they won’t be lost,” explained Kinsey.
Dog owners also know that the auditor’s responsibilities extend into licensing as well as that office oversees the issuance of dog and kennel licenses as well as other vendor licenses and cigarette retailer permits.
The office also maintains Stark County’s Geographic Information Systems, which includes tax parcel boundaries, street data, and address information. This mapping system supports planning, emergency services, property research, and public accessibility to accurate land records.
“We use that imagery of properties and houses for evaluation purposes, but we also share it with safety forces,” said Kinsey. “Through these tools, police officers and firefighters have a better understanding of the layout of an area if they are called to respond to any kind of a situation.”
Finally, the auditor safeguards consumers by enforcing state laws related to weights and measures. Inspectors test and certify commercial scales, fuel pumps, and other measuring devices to ensure that residents receive exactly what they pay for, protecting both consumers and honest businesses.
Once those machines have been inspected and approved, that sticker with Kinsey’s name is attached to let consumers know it has been certified.
“Being the auditor is a big responsibility,” said Kinsey. “I can tell you that I take the job seriously. I look forward to going into my office every day, and many times I am the last to leave. I can also tell you that I love it.”
This article originally appeared on The Alliance Review: New Stark auditor relishes post managing county’s money
Reporting by Special to The Alliance Review / The Alliance Review
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