Ohio REALTORS Supports Property Tax Reform Legislation to Reign in Unvoted Tax Increases
By Anastasia Kotkovskaya, Manager, Advocacy and Research
Ohio REALTORS® provided proponent testimony to the Ohio House Ways and Means Committee in support of House Bill (HB) 186, legislation aimed to restore fairness to Ohio’s property tax system.
Across the state, homeowners are seeing steep increases in their property tax bills, and not always with a public vote due to outdated rules in Ohio law. Nearly 80% of school districts in Ohio have reached the 20-mill floor, which negates the tax reduction protections created in House Bill 920 – a 1976 law originally designed to prevent property taxes from rising automatically when home values go up. Without these protections, tax bills can climb unchecked, straining household budgets and taxing some out of their homes.
In his testimony, CEO Scott Williams shared with the committee:
HB 186 provides important protections against unfettered growth in property taxes by limiting the revenue growth school districts can receive from the 20-mill floor to inflation, which will reduce the dramatic increases in property taxes. This legislation does not prevent school districts from seeking additional levies to bring in revenue; it simply ensures that school districts seeking more than inflationary increases in revenue receive voter approval, thus avoiding unvoted spikes in property taxes.
Also testifying in support of the bill was Tom Zaino on behalf of the Ohio Taxpayer Protection Coalition, which Ohio REALTORS® has joined to support bold, commonsense solutions to restore fairness, simplify compliance, and ensure Ohio remains competitive with other states, especially with respect to Ohio’s property and municipal income tax systems.
Ohio REALTORS® will continue to stand up for homeowners and advocate for property tax reforms that are fair and voter-driven.
Learn more about HB 186 below:
