Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
On this page, you'll find answers to questions about living and working in Camden! If you don't see your specific question(s) here, please contact us. We'll get back to you and may also post the information on this page for others. THANK YOU!
General Questions
Camden utilizes a one-call service to provide important announcements and information for village residents. A resident is automatically signed up for the one-call service when he/she sets up a water or utility account with the village.
If the utility payment is included in a renter's monthly payment and paid by the landlord, there is no way to track a renter's contact information for the system. The village depends on landlords or renters themselves to provide up-to-date resident phone numbers for the one-call system.
Examples of announcements provided via Camden's one-call system include:
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- Emergencies
- Water main break / Water boil advisories
- Leaf pick up dates in the fall
- To provide information it is important for the village to know.
- and more
Village employees will provide leaf pick-up for all residents beginning when a majority of leaves have fallen, and will pick up as needed throughout the leaf-falling season. Leaf pick days are generally announced via Camden's one-call system.
To have your leaves picked up, simply rake them to the curb into a pile. DO NOT RAKE LEAVES INTO THE STREET. Leaves should be placed near the side of the street, between the sidewalk and curb (if there is a sidewalk).
The Fairmount Cemetery, located on N. Main Street in Camden, is managed by the Somers Township Board of Trustees. To purchase a cemetery space there, please call them at 937-452-7554. You likely will need to leave a message but someone will return your call promptly.
Yes! If you have lots of items that need taken to the landfill, you may rent the village dump truck (from Friday-Monday) and village personnel will take the truck to the landfill for you. The cost for rental use is $40 which covers landfill fees, gas and use of the dump truck.
The steps for rental include:
- Call the Village office to reserve the dump truck (weekends only).
- Village personnel will drop the dump truck off at your location on Friday.
- You will have the weekend to load the dump truck with items to be disposed.
- Village personnel will pick up the dump truck on Monday morning, will drive and empty it at the Preble County Landfill.
Please note: Renters must only load items accepted by the Preble county Landfill and should NOT include any items they do not accept including: paint, chemicals, hazardous materials, tires and appliances or items that contains freon.
If you have questions about renting the dump truck or would like to schedule a rental, please contact the village office at 927-452-7547.
WATER/SEWER/TRASH/RECYCLING
To establish or transfer water service to your property, please contact or visit the administrative office in the Town Hall. Staff will assist you providing and completing the necessary paperwork.
Contact information
56 West Central
Camden, Ohio 45311
Phone: 937-452-7547
villageofcamden@woh.rr.com
HOURS:
MONDAY – FRIDAY 8:00 – 4:30
Your water bill is distributed near the beginning of each month and is due by the 15th of each month. If paid on time, residents pay the net amount due and can do so in person at the village offices, via the drop box at the town hall office, by mailing payment to the address on the bill, online here, by calling our automated payment processing system at 866-584-4623, and at any branch of the Somerville Bank.
If the bill is not paid by the due date of the 15th of each month, residents have until the 24th to pay the gross amount due (the original amount plus a 5% late fee). If the bill is not paid by 4:30 p.m. on the 24th, a resident's water may be disconnected on the 25th.
Please note: this information is printed on all tax bills.
If the 24th or 25th falls on a weekend, payment MUST be in the drop box first thing Monday morning to avoid disconnection.
To have your water service reconnected after a disconnection, residents must pay their delinquent water charges due, with late fees, plus a reconnection charge. The reconnections fees are:
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- $10 for the first reconnection in a calendar year
- $20 for the second reconnection occurrence in a calendar year
- $50 for the third and every consecutive reconnection occurrence in a calendar year
If a bill is not paid by the due date of the 15th of each month, residents have until the 24th of that same month to pay the original amount plus a 5% late fee (as indicated as gross amount on the bill). Then, if the bill is not paid by 4:30 p.m. on the 24th, a resident's water will be automatically disconnected on the 25th.
Please note: this information is printed on all tax bills.
If the 24th or 25th falls on a weekend, payment MUST be in the drop box by 8:00 a.m. on Monday morning to avoid disconnection.
To have your water service reconnected after a disconnection, residents must pay their delinquent water charges due (with late fee) plus a reconnection charge. The reconnection fees are:
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- $10 for the first delinquent reconnection in a calendar year
- $20 for the second reconnection occurrence in a calendar year
- $50 for the third and every consecutive reconnection occurrence in a calendar year
The water bill includes charges for water usage, sewer charges and trash pick up.
How to Check Your Toilet for a Leak
- Remove toilet “tank” lid
- Conduct the food coloring test (you will need food coloring bottles)
- Simply place 15-20 drops into the water in your tank and wait for 30 minutes
- Check the water in the bowl for color after 30 minutes
If any of the dye has made it into your toilet bowl, a leak is present at the flapper or a crack in the overflow tube, a repair will be required.
Camden contracts with Rumpke to pick up trash every Tuesday morning in the village of Camden and residents are supplied with one garbage can on wheels.
Residents CANNOT place additional trash containers, bags of trash or other items beside your can for pick up, as those will not be picked up. Our contract with Rumpke, in order to keep rates low, provides for one-can service only.
The second Tuesday of every month, though, is a BULK PICK UP DAY. Residents can put up to three large items (furniture, mattresses, appliances, etc.) at the curb for pick up.
Please note the following rules/guidelines for pick up of bulk items:
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- The upholstered items (i.e., couches, chairs, mattresses - items susceptible to bed bugs) MUST BE bagged in plastic or Rumpke will not remove them.
- The items containing freon or other refrigerants (i.e., fridges and air conditioners), the freon MUST BE drained and the items must be tagged with a notice that states that all refrigerants have been removed.
Camden contracts with Rumpke for trash collection in the village of Camden. The second Tuesday of every month is a BULK PICK UP DAY. Residents can put up to three large items (furniture, mattresses, appliances, etc.) at the curb for pick up.
Please note the following rules/guidelines for pick up of bulk items:
-
- The upholstered items (i.e., couches, chairs, mattresses - items susceptible to bed bugs), items MUST BE bagged in plastic or Rumpke will not remove them.
- The items containing freon or other refrigerants (i.e., fridges and air conditioners), the freon MUST BE drained and the items must be tagged with a notice that states that all refrigerants have been removed.
Rumpke does not offer curbside recycling to Camden, but large recycling dumpsters are provided for Village of Camden Residents. The recycling containers are located at the edge of the gravel parking area near the soccer fields directly off N. Main Street (across the street from the St. Mary's Catholic Church).
We want to remind everyone ONLY THE FOLLOWING items can be put into the recycling containers:
Acceptable Items
Acceptable Items for Recycling
Rumpke Recycling offers residential customers a convenient, comprehensive recycling program to enhance the recycling effort and reduce the amount of material sent to the landfill.
While the full list of acceptable materials may vary slightly in some locations, residents can typically recycle the following:
- Glass Bottles & Jars (all colors)
- Metal Cans: Aluminum cans, steel cans and lids, empty aerosol cans with the lids and tips removed
- Plastic Bottles (empty, crush, reattach lid): Bottles and jugs that have a small mouth and wider base, such as milk jugs, soda bottles, laundry detergent bottles, water bottles, shampoo bottles and contact solution bottles
- Plastic Tubs: Containers for butter, sour cream cottage cheese, yogurt, Jello and fruit slices would fall into the tub category. Lids should be reattached prior to recycling
- Plastic Cups* (remove/discard straw, reattach lid): Fast food beverage cups
- Paper: newspaper, magazines, cardboard, mixed office paper and envelopes, paperboard (cereal boxes), pizza boxes free of food debris and grease, telephone books and catalogs
- Paper Cups (remove/discard lids, straws and stoppers): Fast food beverage cups, coffee cups, Dixie cups
- Cartons: food and beverage cartons, such as milk, juice, soup, wine, broth and other cartons.
Recycling Tips
- Mix all items together – no separation required
- Empty all bottles, jugs and cans
- No need to remove labels
- For plastic bottles, empty, crush and reattach lids
- For cartons, remove plastic caps and straws
- NEVER place medical sharps or needles in the recycling
- DON’T use plastic bags
NOT FOR RECYCLING
No plastic bags, cassette tapes, bed sheets, hangers, metal chains, garden hoses, batteries, needles, syringes, electronics, polystyrene foam, buckets, car parts, food, yard waste, wooden items, furniture light bulbs, drinking glasses, ceramics, pots, pans, and scrap metal.
A flyer detailing accepted recyclables can be found here.
Tax Information
In 2015, Camden Council approved a 1% income tax for anyone who lives and/or works in Camden. At that time, the village contracted with the Regional Income Tax Agency (RITA) to collect those taxes.
Please note: RITA is just one of several agencies approved to collect income taxes for Ohio municipalities. RITA also collects taxes for Eaton (1.5%), Gratis (1%) and West Elkton (1%). Other agencies collect for some Preble County towns (i.e., West Alexandria (1%), Lewisburg (1.75%).
Camden's mandatory income tax is levied on Camden residents who are 18 years and older and who have earned taxable wages. This includes salaries, hourly wages, commissions and other compensation, as well as on net profits from business operations and rental activities.
Residents must file a return for Camden's income tax annually. In some cases, employers may take the tax out of an employee's paycheck, but in most cases, residents are responsible for paying this income tax when they file their annual taxes.
Residents of Camden who do not have taxable income (retired, active duty military, etc.) may file an exemption form with RITA directly. After filing the exemption form, and approved by RITA, qualified residents will no longer be required to file a Camden tax return unless or until their status changes (return to work, purchase a rental property, etc.). Residents who are on social security and medicaid do not have to pay the income tax, but must also file an exemption with RITA.
PAYMENT INFORMATION
RITA offers a full range of online filing and payment options for your convenience on the RITA Website. When sending by mail, all forms and payments should be mailed directly to RITA at the address on the form. All other correspondence should be sent to:
RITA
P.O. Box 47790
Broadview Heights, OH 44147-7900
For assistance, you may call RITA at 800-860-7482, or the City of Fairborn Income Tax Division at 937-754-3006. For more information, check out these RITA links:
- Business Filing RITA - Secure website for businesses to file and pay their Village of Camden income tax online with the Regional Income Tax Agency
- Individual Filing RITA - Secure website to file and pay your individual Village of Camden income tax online with the Regional Income Tax Agency
- Camden's Tax Rate Information
The majority of Ohio's cities, towns and villages operate and survive on taxes and levies. Small towns and villages, particularly, are dependent on the tax support of their citizens.
Camden's 1% income tax, approved in 2014 is simply another source of revenue for the village that maintains and improves our town. The income tax (collected and distributed to Camden by the Regional Income Tax Agency) is charged to everyone who lives and/or works in the Village of Camden and produces approximately $275,000 for the village's budget each year.
All revenue from the income tax is placed into Camden's General Fund for appropriation as needed in the village's budget. For the past few years, the income tax has been utilized to pay for the street repaving project, among other budget items.
Please note: the majority of towns and villages in Preble County have approved income taxes for their residents and those who work in their towns/villages as well:
Eaton (1.5%)
Gratis (1.0%)
Lewisburg (1.75%)
West Alexandria (1.0%)
West Elkton (1.0%)
To find out what your property taxes are, you can visit the Preble County Auditor website. Choose the "search" option from the top menu, "accept" the disclaimer that will appear, then you can search by parcel, address or owner's name.
How do I reserve Camden's parks?
The shelter can be reserved on a first-come, first-served basis. Your reservation will include use of the shelter, including electrical outlets, and a key to the bathrooms (the village furnishes each with one roll of toilet paper and paper towels). To reserve the shelter, please contact the village office at 937-452-7547. There is a $25 deposit to be paid to confirm the reservation.
Once the bathroom key is returned, your deposit will be returned to you. Please note, you are reserving the shelter and bathrooms only. The public will still have access to the remainder o the park including playground equipment, basketball court, soccer fields and parking areas.
Camden's other parks, including the Bicentennial Park (Central Ave), Veterans Park (Central & Main) or the Roadside Park (near water tower), are available on a first-come, first-served basis. There is no procedure in place to reserve either park or area. The exception would be during the August 127 Yard Sale dates when the Village has granted the Beautification Committee use the Roadside Park for renting to antique dealers as an annual fundraiser.
Property / Building / Construction / Permits / Sidewalks
In a word, yes. In order to construct or install anything on your property (i.e., house, garage, barn, fencing, shed, deck, porch, etc.), you need the proper county permits AND you also need approval from the Camden Village Council.
You will need approval from Council to make structural or large project changes to your current property. This includes buildings, as listed above, plus fencing, sidewalks, and other property improvements or changes.
When you are planning to build, construct or install a new addition to your property, you must submit a letter of request that includes a detailed description of what you plan to do to the Village of Camden Council. Items to include in the detailed description include:
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- Type of structure or property improvement
- Precise location on the project/new structure
- Type of material to be used in the project
- Permit information (if you have gotten county permits already)
- Blueprints (if building a large structure)
- Name/info of contractor (if you are using one)
Residents should submit this information to the village at a council meeting or can submit the information to the Village Offices for the City Manager to present to council for approval at their next meeting.
Residents are required to obtain any required county permits.
Yes, both. In order to construct or install anything on your property (i.e., house, garage, barn, fencing, shed, deck, porch, etc.), you need the proper county permits AND you also need approval from the Camden Village Council.
You will need approval from Council to make structural or large project changes to your current property. This includes buildings, as listed above, plus fencing, sidewalks, and other property improvements or changes.
When you are planning to build, construct or install a new addition to your property, you must submit a letter of request that includes a detailed description of what you plan to do to the Village of Camden Council. Items to include in the detailed description include:
-
- Type of structure or property improvement
- Precise location on the project/new structure
- Type of material to be used in the project
- Permit information (if you have gotten county permits already)
- Blueprints (if building a large structure)
- Name/info of contractor (if you are using one)
Residents should submit this information to the village at a council meeting or can submit the information to the Village Offices for the City Manager to present to council for approval at their next meeting.
Residents are required to obtain any required county permits.
We are in the final phase of Camden's multi-year plan to replace damaged or hazardous sidewalks in the village.
During a sidewalk review, village employees locate and mark sidewalk areas that need to be replaced based on the Sidewalk Codes passed by the Village Council. Sidewalks to be replaced are marked with a blue or red "X." Residents or businesses that own that property must replace those identified sidewalk sections within 90 days using the "Sidewalk Replacement Criteria" approved by Council.
If a resident's sidewalks are not replaced in the timeframe allowed or arrangements have not been made with the village to do so, the village will contract with a local contractor to complete the work, and residents will be charged for cost of repairs/replacement. The village will send an invoice, including a copy of the contractor's invoice, to the property owner and provide time to pay for the completed sidewalk replacement work. If residents fail to pay the village invoice, the village we assess the resident's taxes for payment.
Most all towns and villages have property maintenance codes. These codes are necessary so that properties are maintained properly, do not become a health or safety hazard and property owners are held liable for the maintenance and up-keep of their properties, dwellings and structures.
Village building and maintenance codes address building structural issues, safety concerns. nuisance violations, building occupancy, the appearance of a property (tree planting, neglected yards, junk vehicles) and other issues. Camden's Property Maintenance Code is published on the website and includes information about provisions, requirements and enforcement.
Buildings or lots that are in violation of of Camden's Property Maintenance Code will be issued a Code Violation Notice by Village Administrator. The notice of Violation will contain information about what the violation is and will provide a timeframe for making repairs or addressing the violation and the date when the repairs/action must be completed.
If the repairs are not completed and actions have not been taken to make the improvements by the due date, the Village Administrator will inspect the property then provide necessary paperwork to the Camden Police Department to issue a citation. Once a citation is issued, there is likely to be a pre-trial and bench trial related to the matter.
Please be aware all repairs, alterations and work related to Property Code Violations must be made in accordance with all state and local building and maintenance codes.
