Ohio bill would give counties the power to cut property taxes

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – A new Ohio proposal would give counties the authority to lower property taxes if they determine the amount collected is more than needed. 

Every county in the state has a budget commission, made up of the county auditor, treasurer and prosecutor, which is tasked with overseeing the taxation process for local governments.

House Bill 309, introduced by David Thomas (R-Jefferson) in May, would require the panels to review the budgets of taxing authorities annually. If a local government is collecting more money than a public entity — such as a school or law enforcement agency — needs, the legislation gives budget commissions the power to suspend or reduce tax rates.

“If the local government doesn’t actually need the full amount of that revenue, or if they’re providing the service for less, or can, why should the taxpayers still be charged a much higher tax rate?” Thomas said. 

Christopher Galloway, the Lake County auditor, testified in support of the bill at its first hearing. He said county prosecutors’ different interpretations of legal precedents have resulted in budget commissions’ responsibilities being unclear and varying across counties.

Galloway claimed that while the Lake County budget commission has “been a rubber stamp” on tax budgets for decades due to its prosecutors’ legal opinions, its neighboring county of Geauga rolls back rates when an entity’s budget does not require the full amount of taxes. He said he wants all 88 counties to have that ability. 

“HB309 won’t be talked about around kitchen tables like a statewide initiative to eliminate property taxes, but it is in fact a REAL and effective means of controlling property taxes in the State of Ohio,” he said in written testimony. 

The legislation comes as many Ohioans are expressing frustrations with the costs of property taxes, including a group of citizens who recently started collecting signatures to amend Ohio’s constitution and eliminate property taxes altogether. 

“Clearly, our taxpayers are telling us across Ohio that the current status quo is not working,” Thomas said. 

However, not everyone is in support of the bill, with some claiming it is an attempt to undermine the will of voters. The nonprofit League of Women Voters is among those who have criticized the legislation. 

“House Bill 309 is just another example of this gerrymandered state legislature’s effort to take power away from local governments and voters,” a spokesperson said in a statement. “Slowly but surely, corrupt politicians in the Ohio Statehouse are trying to end local control and reduce the rights of Ohio citizens. What Ohioans need are real solutions to real problems, not this.”

Thomas disagreed with such concerns, stating that if the legislation passed, voters would still have the “full authority and say over the services they want.”

The provision has also been folded into a larger property tax relief overhaul, House Bill 335, which combines multiple bills and would deliver $3.5 billion in property tax relief, according to Thomas. 

House Bill 309’s second hearing will take place on Wednesday, when opponents of the measure will have the chance to testify. House Bill 335 was introduced last week and awaits its first hearing.