LaRe, Miller Introduce Constitutional Amendment to Rein in Rising Property Taxes

COLUMBUS – State Representatives Jeff LaRe (R-Violet Township) and Kevin Miller (R-Newark) have introduced a joint resolution designed to protect Ohio homeowners from dramatic property tax increases caused by rapidly rising property values.

Under the proposed constitutional amendment, increases in a homeowner’s appraised value would be limited for tax purposes to inflation, capped at no more than 3% annually. Any increase above that amount would be exempt from taxation as long as the homeowner or the homeowner’s spouse continues to own the property. When the property is sold, the protection ends and the new owner’s taxable value would be based on the property’s current value.

“People shouldn’t be taxed out of their homes simply because property values around them have skyrocketed,” said LaRe. “If the value of your home jumps 20 or 30 percent on paper, you haven’t received a dime from that increase. Our proposal protects homeowners from being taxed on most of that paper appreciation while they continue to own their home. When they decide to sell, they still receive the full market value of the property. This gives homeowners predictability and helps people stay in the homes they’ve worked their entire lives to own.  This proposal alone won’t solve Ohio’s property tax problem, and there is more work to do, but it is a meaningful step toward protecting homeowners from the dramatic increases we’re seeing across Ohio.”

“Ohioans deserve greater certainty when it comes to the cost of staying in their homes,” said Miller. “Homeowners can’t control what happens to property values around them, and they shouldn’t face sudden tax increases simply because their neighborhood has become more valuable. By limiting how much of that increase can be taxed while they own their home, we can provide greater stability for families and help longtime homeowners remain in the communities they helped build.”

If approved by three-fifths of the members elected to each chamber of the General Assembly, the proposed amendment would be submitted to Ohio voters at the May 4, 2027 primary election. Ohio's Constitution requires a three-fifths vote of the members elected to each house for a General Assembly-proposed constitutional amendment.