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House Bills 186 and 335 earned tepid support from some House Democrats, while others railed against the bills for not going far enough.
House Bill 186, sponsored by Reps. David Thomas (R-Jefferson) and Jim Hoops (R-Napoleon), creates an Inflation Cap Credit, limiting increases in property taxes above the rate of inflation. The sponsors claim this would save Ohio property owners $1.7 billion over the next three years. See an earlier report on Ohio’s Property Tax Reform Work Group in the video player above.
“Members, $1.7 billion — that is the amount of money over the next three years if we do not pass House Bill 186, that is the amount of taxpayer dollars that will be paid by our property owners above inflation due to the 20-mill floor, due to increased property values and a policy at the school level that we at the legislature are ultimately responsible for,” Thomas said. “And if we are responsible for setting the law of the land for Ohio, $1.7 billion is the amount we can tell our taxpayers, ‘You are not paying.’”
House Bill 335, also sponsored by Thomas, caps the rate of inside millage levies, which can be imposed by local governments without voter approval. The inside millage cap would also keep property taxes tied to the rate of inflation.
“What’s happened over the years is inside millage taxation has massively increased and, as we’ve talked about, it’s unvoted,” said Rep. Bill Roemer (R-Richfield). “We can say that every property taxpayer in the state of Ohio will benefit from the passage of House Bill 335.”
Some Democrats, however, argued that both measures would benefit property taxpayers who don’t actually live in Ohio.
“Taxpayers in my district of Lucas County would see absolutely zero property tax relief under House Bill 186,” said Rep. Elgin Rogers, Jr. (D-Toledo). “About half of Ohioans who do not live in a 20-mill floor district will see no change in their property taxes. … For the other half of Ohioans, who actually live in a district at the twenty mill floor, the everyday Ohioan will possibly see just $13 a month in relief. Something’s better than nothing, right? But those folks who are out-of-state investors and major property owners will see thousands, thousands of dollars of property tax relief monthly.”
Democrat Daniel Troy of Willowick voted in favor of both bills but warned they would not be enough to blunt the momentum behind a ballot initiative to abolish property taxes.
“If we think that this is somehow property tax relief for everyday Ohioans or heading off the constitutional amendment to abolish property taxes, we’re kidding ourselves,” Troy said. “I think this is like pouring a cup of water on a forest fire. We’ve got a heck of a lot more to do.”
Having been passed by the House, both measures will now go to the Senate for consideration.
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