(The Center Square) – Four days after Ohio House Republicans voted to override one of Gov. Mike DeWine’s vetoes regarding property taxes, the Senate has yet to schedule a session to concur.
At the same time, policy groups and Democrats continue to push their plans for property owner relief.
The Buckeye Institute, a Columbus-based policy group, continues to push property tax solutions like giving county commissions the ability to approve levies and lower tax rates, along with changing or ending the 20-mill property tax floor.
Each was included in the new state budget and vetoed by DeWine.
The House did not vote to override those, but rather passed an override by two votes to put a provision to ban emergency or renewal levies on the ballot.
The Buckeye Institute has other ideas, like consolidating local government entities, requiring local governments to make operations more transparent and eliminating tax abatements they say these ideas shift property tax burdens to families and small businesses.
The recommendations come as a potential constitutional amendment to abolish property taxes completely is gaining momentum and could soon be on the ballot.
“Ohioans fearful of losing their homes are demanding reform and threatening a constitutional amendment to abolish property taxes altogether,” said Greg R. Lawson, a research fellow at The Buckeye Institute. “Tough choices are needed to avoid this draconian step, and The Buckeye Institute’s work offers the Property Tax Reform Working Group a roadmap to real reform that will lower property taxes while maintaining critical local government services.”
Americans for Prosperity-Ohio called DeWine’s vetoes of the three property tax provisions wrong and pushed the Senate to move ahead with the same vote.
“Gov. DeWine’s misguided vetoes – cheered on by progressive Democrats and quietly enabled by some Republicans – sought to paper over Ohio’s property tax crisis rather than confront it,” said Donovan O’Neil, AFP-Ohio state director. “AFP-Ohio applauds the House for standing with Ohioans – not the bureaucracy – and we urge the Senate to act swiftly.”
Democrats, however, continue to push a series of property tax reduction bills that have been in the legislature for more than a year without any movement by the Republican-controlled House.
The bills include doubling the homestead exemption for seniors and long-term homeowners, freezing property taxes for seniors and creating the Property Tax Refund Act.
“This veto override is not real property tax relief. Instead, House Republicans are rigging the system to ensure that our public schools and local communities foot the bill for the Majority’s wasteful spending,” said House Minority Leader Dani Isaacsohn, D-Cincinnati. “The state legislature already has the power to solve Ohio’s property tax crisis – but refuses to act. Democrats are ready and willing to work with Republican lawmakers who are serious about solving Ohio’s property tax crisis. But we won’t support hollow gestures that help few, hurt many, and betray the state’s responsibility to Ohio taxpayers. People deserve better.”
