Is property tax relief coming for Ohioans? 5 things to know from our reporting

The Ohio house has passed legislation to mitigate huge tax bills as a result of historic property value hikes. NICK GRAHAM/STAFF

Credit: Nick Graham

Credit: Nick Graham

The Ohio house has passed legislation to mitigate huge tax bills as a result of historic property value hikes. NICK GRAHAM/STAFF

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Our reporters for years now have covered how massive property value increases have led to property tax hikes, spurring bipartisan support for property tax reform. But so far, meaningful reform has fallen short. Today, we explore obstacles and opportunities.

Here are five things to know from our reporting:

1. Sticking point: The main sticking point on proposed reforms is who should they benefit, and who should pay for them. Denise Callahan has this in-depth report on that debate.

2. Disappointment so far: Several state lawmakers who worked on the special bipartisan committee to address property tax reform last year are expressing dismay the final product didn’t include a concrete plan to give taxpayers much-needed relief. Here’s what happened there.

3. The options: The committee did release 21 recommendations to reform Ohio’s property tax system, but didn’t rank them in any way. Here is a full list of the proposals.

4. County auditors weigh in: County auditors — both Democrats and Republicans — are backing a number of reforms, including expanding the homestead exemption by increasing the valuation that would be exempt from property taxes and the income threshold. Sydney Dawes has more on that.

5. How to appeal: You can’t appeal if you think your taxes are too high. But if you think your taxable property value is too high, homeowners have until March 31 to file appeals to lower their property’s taxable value in tax bills for the second half of 2024 due later this year. Here’s more info on that.

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