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Discord over Ohio’s property tax is set to take center stage once again tonight at a town hall meeting in North Jackson, where citizens leading a movement to abolish the tax will rally support.
NORTH JACKSON, Ohio - Discord over Ohio’s property tax is set to take center stage once again tonight at a town hall meeting in North Jackson, where citizens leading a movement to abolish the tax will rally support.
The grassroots effort, which seeks to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot, challenges the reforms recently proposed by a governor-appointed task force in Columbus.
The meeting, scheduled for 6 p.m. at The Black Feather Ranch on Mahoning Avenue, will feature Brian Massie, petition organizer, and John Plecnik, a Lake County commissioner and professor of tax law. They are advocating for an overhaul of the state’s tax structure, arguing that eliminating the property tax is essential for providing financial stability to Ohio homeowners.
Advocates for abolishing the property tax say it would reduce the risk of people losing their property due to the inability to pay escalating taxes. Massie and Plecnik are expected to outline the process for the petition drive and discuss the legal implications of such a fiscal change.
Speakers will focus on empowering residents to take part in reforming the state’s tax system by supporting the petition. Plecnik, with a background in public service and legal scholarship, is set to provide context on the current legal framework surrounding property taxes and potential pathways to reform through the petition process.
The path to abolition faces political and fiscal complexities. Property taxes fund essential local services, including schools, fire departments, law enforcement, and local governments. Eliminating the tax would require the General Assembly to find a replacement source for the billions of dollars needed to fund these services, with many observers noting that the burden would likely shift to increased state income or sales taxes.
In response to the escalating crisis and the political pushback—which included the General Assembly’s formation of its own Joint Committee on Property Tax Review and Reform—Governor DeWine convened a separate Property Tax Working Group.
Co-Chaired by Pat Tiberi, president and chief executive officer of the Ohio Business Roundtable, and Bill Seitz, a former state representative, the group was tasked with finding recommendations for meaningful property tax relief that would also ensure essential local services remained adequately funded.
The working group, whose members were drawn from a spectrum of local finance and education leaders, submitted its final report to the governor on Sept. 30. The membership included representatives from various local government roles, such as county auditors Chris Galloway and Matt Nolan, county treasurers Krista Bohn and Denise Driehaus, and school superintendents Dr. John Marschhausen and Stephanie Starcher.
After months of deliberation, the group issued a report that offered 20 recommendations for reform. The proposals build on 13 recommendations previously put forth by the Joint Legislative Committee. The core of the group’s work centered on addressing the root causes of rising bills and improving government efficiency, transparency, and accountability, rather than eliminating the funding source.
The 20 recommendations put forward by the Property Tax Working Group fall into three categories: taxpayer relief, government accountability, and systemic adjustments. They propose to fix the current property tax system, not replace it.
Accountability and Oversight of Local Taxing Bodies:
Transparency and Fairness:
Relief for Vulnerable Populations and Systemic Adjustments:
The next step for the working group's proposals lies with the General Assembly, which is expected to begin working on bills related to property tax reform in the coming weeks, using the report to inform the legislative debate.
A proposal to remove property tax via a state constitutional amendment is not on the November ballot. However, the effort continues to collect more than 620,000 signatures on the Abolishment of Taxes on Real Property Initiative Petition.
The full text of the proposed amendment reads as follows:
Be it Resolved by the People of the State of Ohio that the Constitution of Ohio is hereby amended to add Section 14 to Article XII to read as follows:
Section 14. Abolishment of Taxes on Real Property.
(A) No real property shall be taxed, and no law shall impose any taxes on real property. As
(B) No other provision of the Constitution shall impose any taxes on real property.
(C) As used in this Section, "real property" includes land itself, all growing crops therein, and all buildings, structures, and improvements permanently attached to the land.
This Amendment shall take effect on the first day of the year after it passes.