(The Center Square) – Republican leaders in the Ohio Senate are puzzled by Gov. Mike DeWine’s vetoes in the state’s new budget but stopped short of committing to possible override votes in the coming weeks.
DeWine, also a Republican, whittled out several provisions lawmakers have said would reduce property tax burdens across the state.
Both the House and Senate are on summer recess and aren’t officially scheduled to be back in session until October.
DeWine let stand a new 2.75% flat tax rate and the Republicans’ plan to take $600 million in taxpayer funds from unclaimed funds and give it to the Cleveland Browns for a new $2.4 billion domed stadium in Brook Park.
He vetoed lawmakers’ plans to cap school districts’ savings at 40% of their current budget. The Legislature said the less schools kept in reserves the less property owners would pay an taxes, resulting in a budget that would have returned anything more than the 40% back to taxpayers.
DeWine said the plan could lead to more tax levies and increases in taxes. Districts called the plan shortsighted, saying reserves are in place to cover emergencies, reduced funding from the state, to maintain strong bond ratings and bridge other gaps between revenue collection.
Senate President Rob McColley, R-Napolean, and Senate Finance Chairman Jerry Cirino, R-Kirtland, questioned DeWine’s veto of several items they believe would have cut property taxes.
In a joint statement they said, “We appreciate the governor’s support of our significant income tax reform that reduces the tax burden on Ohioans by moving to a single flat income tax bracket. Yet it is puzzling that at a time when Ohioans are demanding a reduction in their property tax burden, the governor vetoed all of the General Assembly’s reforms, which would have contained the rate of growth of property tax across the state, added more accountability to local taxing subdivisions, and would have created more ballot transparency to levies. These are kitchen table issues that hard working families understand, and the General Assembly needs to strongly consider acting on their behalf to implement these vital changes that would return the property tax system to its cost-controlled guardrails as originally intended.”
DeWine also vetoed a provision that would have allowed county commissions to shrink school district levies that had been passed by voters and an item that banned districts from putting emergency levies or an increase to a current levy on the ballot.
DeWine said imposing all of the changes could have created serious financial problems for school districts across the state.
