Some Republican state lawmakers are getting ready to introduce a bill that would change the threshold for being able to pass a local property tax levy to 60% or more.
“Taxpayers are tapped out and just really at their wits' end,” Rep. Dave Thomas (R-Ashtabula), one of the legislation’s sponsors, said.
Right now, local levies pass with a simple majority. Thomas said it raising the threshold to 60% would ensure there is broader support.
“It’s a very small portion of the property ownership community that’s actually voting on these levies and approving which then impacts the whole entire taxing district and property owners,” Thomas said.
Thomas said there are many local levies that pass with more than 60% approval, and that this sort of threshold is already in place in Arizona. The bill would affect local levies for police, fire, libraries and schools.
Education advocates respond
Ohio Education Association President Scott DiMauro said the measure would be "terrible" for public schools.
“They are going to find themselves having to cut programs, increase class sizes and make other reductions in services for students when they don’t have the funding they need," he said.
Further, DiMauro called this provision “undemocratic.”
“The voters of Ohio have spoken clearly that they support majority rule and that one person, one vote is an important principle. That should hold true for local elections,” DiMauro said. In August of 2023, Ohio voters rejected a ballot issue that would have raised the threshold to pass constitutional amendments to 60% of the vote.
DiMauro said state lawmakers should support public schools to reduce the need for local tax levies in the first place.
Ohio Federation of Teachers President Melissa Cropper said she wants to see the bill when it is introduced but she doesn’t like the general thrust of what she’s hearing so far.
"We are opposed to policies that would make it harder for voters to approve funding for schools, libraries and other public services,” Cropper said.
Property taxpayer fatigue
Property taxes have been going up throughout Ohio in recent years as home valuations have increased dramatically. And some citizens are trying to take action to stop it.
There’s already a citizen-led proposed constitutional amendment to get rid of property taxes altogether. Backers of that plan would need to get nearly 443,000 valid petition signatures to put the issue on the statewide ballot.
Thomas said taxpayers are telling him they want state lawmakers to pass provisions like this one to rein in property tax increases.
“If the taxpayers aren’t seeing strong changes from the legislature, I would not be surprised at all if all property taxes go away because property taxpayers are just fed up,” Thomas said.
