Ohio House Votes to Override Governor’s Veto on Property Tax Levies, Tables Action on Two Others
By Andrew Huffman, Asst. VP, Governmental Affairs
On Monday, the Ohio House of Representatives convened to consider overriding Governor DeWine’s vetoes of three critical property tax reform provisions in the state’s operating budget (House Bill 96). The reforms included in the state operating budget were part of a carefully crafted package developed through more than a year of hearings, nearly 100 witnesses, and a comprehensive 865-page report from the Joint Committee on Property Tax Review and Reform.
Ohio REALTORS® strongly supported these reforms and launched a Call for Action to engage our members statewide. Over the past week, REALTORS® throughout the state urged their lawmakers to stand with homeowners and override the vetoes, and we are proud of the advocacy our members delivered.
Ultimately, however, the House only overrode one of the governor’s vetoes, which bans school districts and local governments from using replacement and emergency levies. This will reduce the repeated use of ballot-driven tax hikes that often confuse and overwhelm voters. The Ohio Senate must still vote to override the veto before the reform becomes law.
The other property tax-related veto overrides were tabled. Those would have:
- Strengthen county budget commission authority: Gives budget commissions, which are made up of the county auditor, treasurer, and prosecutor, the power to reduce levy millage if collections are found to be excessive, unnecessary, or unreasonable.
- Reform the 20-mill floor for schools: Requires revenue from certain levies, including emergency and substitute levies, to count toward the 20-mill floor, limiting automatic property tax growth as home values rise and reinforcing voter control over tax increases.
These reforms were designed to increase oversight, improve fiscal transparency, and protect homeowners from unmanageable, unexpected property tax growth.
The action by the House of Representatives shows the legislature’s commitment to providing property tax relief to Ohioans; however, more work is needed to create a more transparent and accountable tax system.
When issuing the vetoes, Governor DeWine called for the formation of a Property Tax Reform Working Group designed to examine property tax relief measures. This working group is charged with issuing a report by September 30th. Those recommendations will then be considered by the legislature for potential passage.
Ohio REALTORS® remains committed to advancing meaningful property tax reform and will continue working with lawmakers, stakeholders, and our members to bring accountability and fairness to Ohio’s property tax system.
Thank you to every member who stepped up and took action. Your advocacy continues to drive progress on one of the most important homeowner issues in the state.
Learn more about these property tax provisions here:
Override the Veto and Deliver the Property Tax Relief Ohioans Deserve
