Rep. Hall: Republicans' Veto Override Leaves Local Communities Holding the Bag, Still No Real Property Relief for Majority of Ohioans
COLUMBUS – State Rep. Derrick Hall (D-Akron) Monday voted “NO” on the vote to override a school district property tax levy restriction provision vetoed in House Bill 96 (the state operating budget). Line-item 66 would eliminate several types of levies, limiting the choices voters have in how to support their schools and local governments, and would not provide real property tax relief to Ohioans. Real property tax relief is one of the most pressing needs for everyday Ohioans. House Democrats have several bills that would make that happen.
“This override vote was a total waste of time and taxpayer dollars. This body voted to override a veto that provides zero targeted property tax relief and fails to address Ohio’s property tax crisis. The majority in this body claims to care about the burden taxpayers face while doing nothing to solve the problem,” said Rep. Hall.
Instead of the state providing real tax relief, Republicans continue to prioritize property tax proposals that benefit the wealthiest Ohioans and that give handouts to billionaires for sports stadiums. Republicans are trying to pass the buck and get schools and local communities to pay the price for wasteful state spending.
During this General Assembly, House Democrats have introduced several bipartisan pieces of legislation to help Ohioans lower their property taxes that the Republican supermajority has failed to act on. They include:
- HB 103 (Troy, T. Hall) - Double Homestead Exemption for Seniors
- HB 143 (Brennan, Mathews) - Double Homestead Exemption for Long-Term Homeowners
- HB 156 (Isaacsohn, T. Hall) - Freeze Property Taxes for Seniors
- HB 365 (Brennan, D. Hall) - Enact the Property Tax Refund Act
The legislation introduced by House Democrats would bring about real property tax relief that is targeted, state-funded, and wouldn’t come at the expense of our local communities.