by JD Davidson
After a proposed constitutional amendment failed to get a vote and several bills stalled in the state legislature, Ohio Democrats are pushing for changes to property taxes.
Some state residents saw their property taxes enhance by 40 to 50 percent this year, and they are expected to jump more than 20 percent between 2019 and 2023.
Democrats recently accused the Republican-controlled legislature of failing to take action.
“At the end of the day, high property taxes are a choice,” said Rep. Bride Rose Sweeney, D-Westlake. “This property tax crisis that Cuyahoga County residents are currently facing is a direct result of the state legislature’s inaction and a deliberate policy platform that has systematically shifted the burden of property taxes onto the backs of working people, middle-class families and seniors. It’s time for the state legislature to act — Ohioans need help now.”
Rep. Phillip Robinson, a Democrat from Solon, has sponsored House Bill 573, which would restore state support for local governments to 2008 levels and cut taxes that fund police, fire and other services.
“One way we can reduce the burden of local property taxes on people is to fully implement the Fair School Funding Plan and increase support for the Local Government Fund. Otherwise, we either force our schools and local governments to cut essential services and resources, or we force voters to shoulder a larger burden in the form of local taxes,” Robinson said.
Earlier this month, Attorney General Dave Yost he rejected a proposed amendment that would prevent the state from raising property taxes without the owner’s consent.
Yost rejected the proposed “Homestead and Private Property” amendment because it did not collect the 1,000 verified voter signatures required for its passage.
The proposed amendment would prevent state and local governments from increasing the value of a property without the owner’s consent, including any property improvements up to $50,000.
The bill would also block property revaluations except in the event of a change in ownership through sale or inheritance, and would include a $50,000 estate tax exemption.
In May bipartisan bill has been introduced in the state Senate and aims to create a property tax exemption solution that supporters say could assist hundreds of thousands of Ohioans.
Senate Bill 271 would create a $1,000 tax break if a person’s property tax bill is more than 5 percent of their income. If passed, Ohio would join 29 other states and Washington, D.C., with some type of tax carve-out.
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Born in Ohio, J.D. Davidson is a seasoned journalist with more than 30 years of experience at newspapers in Ohio, Georgia, Alabama and Texas. He has served as a reporter, editor, managing editor and publisher. Davidson is a regional editor Central Square.
Photo “Ohio Suburb” by Columbite.CC BY 3.0 License
