Ohio Legislature Overrides Governor’s Veto, Advancing Key Property Tax Reform
This week, the Ohio Senate voted to override the Governor’s veto of a key provision in House Bill 96, officially enacting new policies aimed at increasing transparency surrounding property tax levies and shielding Ohio’s residents from unrestrained property tax growth. The House previously voted to override the veto in July, a first step in clearing the way for the reform to take effect.
What’s Changing:
Once effective, the new law will prohibit:
- Local governments from proposing replacement property tax levies
- School districts from proposing fixed-sum emergency levies, substitute emergency levies, and combined school district income tax and fixed-sum property tax levies.
These changes apply on a going-forward basis only. Levies already in place or appearing on the November 2025 ballot will not be affected. Existing levies will continue under their current terms.
Why This Victory Matters:
This is a major advocacy win for Ohio REALTORS®, and it wouldn’t have happened without our members stepping up!
We’ve long championed the need for a more transparent and voter-friendly property tax system. Replacement and emergency levies have been a key concern because they often lead to unvoted tax spikes after property reappraisals, and are not counted toward the 20-mill floor.
Thanks to the strong response from members who answered our Call for Action, these problematic levy mechanisms are officially off the table moving forward. This is a huge step toward a fairer and more accountable property tax structure for homeowners across the state.
