(The Center Square) – Ohio lawmakers continue to try to curb skyrocketing property taxes across the state.
This time, it’s senior citizens who could get relief.
Reps. Thomas Hall, R-Madison Township, and Dani Isaacsohn, D-Cincinnati, recently reintroduced legislation to shield older Ohioans living on fixed incomes from rising property taxes.
“The goal of this bill is to ensure Ohio seniors are able to age in their homes and continue to be active participants in society,” Hall said. “This commonsense bill will directly shield vulnerable Ohioans from drastic increases in property taxes.”
The bill would create a property tax freeze for people 65 years old and older with an income of $50,000 or less. They would have to have owned their own for two years or more and the home’s value would have to be $500,000 or less.
“We should never be taxing seniors out of their homes,” Isaacsohn said. “By recognizing the unique challenges faced by seniors and providing them with financial relief, Ohio can become a more inclusive and supportive place to grow old.”
It’s an ongoing effort from lawmakers to try to ease property tax burdens, but nothing has been passed and assessments continue to rise across the state.
Last year, several bills targeting rising property taxes failed to pass the General Assembly, including three with bipartisan sponsorships.
One would have given a $1,000 property tax rebate and $1 billion in tax relief to more than 1.3 million homeowners and renters after their tax payments exceed 5% of their income.
That bill was introduced late in the last session, but three others sat at the capitol for more than a year after committee hearings with no recorded opposition.
One would have expanded the homestead exemption to cover another 75,000 senior citizens. The second would freeze property taxes for seniors making $50,000 or less, and the third would increase the exemption for people who have owned their homes for more than 20 years.
