Yost, DeWine address property tax reform

VW independent staff/submitted information

COLUMBUS — With a possible ballot issue looming, property tax reform has become a hot topic in Columbus. Attorney General Dave Yost and Governor Mike DeWine chimed in on the potential 2026 issue and both are talking about reform.

Yost is urging elected county officials to form a coalition to reform property taxes in Ohio before a citizen-led ballot initiative simply eliminates the system altogether.

“Ohioans are as angry as I’ve ever seen them – and rightly so,” Yost said. “These inflationary tax increases are hurting everyone and, in some cases, are forcing people out of the homes they worked their entire lives for.”

Speaking on Wednesday to the leaders of the Ohio Council of County Officials, a group representing all Ohio’s county elected officials, Yost noted that from 2020 to 2024, property taxes jumped nearly 19 percent to the tune of $3.8 billion. Owners of residential and agricultural properties bore the largest share of the tax burden, due to increases in property valuations.

Drawing on his experience as a former county auditor and former state auditor, Yost observed that schools, counties and local governments – all of which rely heavily on property taxes to fund operations – need to lead on property-tax reform before it is simply eliminated altogether. Ohio homeowners are clearly and vocally fed up with ever-rising property taxes and will no longer tolerate the related losses in personal income.

Yost predicted that a citizen-led ballot measure aimed at abolishing property taxes in Ohio, which seems likely to make an upcoming ballot, would pass easily. He warned the local leaders to get ahead of this issue now or risk dealing with public finances in chaos.

“Lead now, or the people will surely blow up the property-tax system,” Yost said. “Reform will be painful, but not nearly as painful as trying to replace $20 billion in revenue that supports schools and local government.”

On Thursday, Governor DeWine formally announced the formation of his Property Tax Reform Working Group. The working group, informally announced during the Governor’s signing of House Bill 96 and associated line-item vetoes, will be co-chaired by former legislators Bill Seitz and Pat Tiberi, also a former congressman and President and CEO of the Ohio Business Roundtable.

“As property values have increased in Ohio over the last decade, the resulting property tax increases have strained many family budgets and challenged the financial security of many on fixed incomes,” DeWine said. “Building upon previously expressed concerns and work done at many levels of government, I am forming this Property Tax Reform Working Group to issue concrete recommendations for meaningful property tax reforms that address the needs of property owners, are affordable to our state budget, and protect local schools and other services.”

The Governor is tasking the Working Group to thoroughly examine issues related to how to provide meaningful property tax relief to homeowners and businesses while ensuring that funding for local schools, fire, police, EMS, libraries, and developmental disabilities is adequate. The Governor is asking the working group to issue a report with concrete proposals by September 30.

In addition to Seitz and Tiberi, other members of the Governor’s Property Tax Reform Working Group will be named in the near future.