“It was a Hail Mary to try and get this thing in by July 1, but why not try,” she said. “We’ve mobilized so many people across Ohio and the beauty of this is that it’s a bi-partisan issue. I think that’s catching everyone by surprise.”
She said they are not letting up, they will continue to collect signatures until they get enough and should make the ballot next year, with the constitutional amendment question that would abolish property taxes, that pay for local services like schools and emergency services.
The citizens group based in Cuyahoga County gathered roughly 1,800 signatures — 1,000 were required by law — to get the petition to Attorney General Dave Yost last month. He approved the request on May 9. To get it on the November ballot they needed signatures from voters in at least 44 of Ohio’s 88 counties in short order.
“This is not going to stop until we’re on the ballot,” Blackmarr said. “We’re in it for the long haul and we’re in it for the citizens of Ohio.”
Many, many Ohioans are struggling under high property tax hikes and the group, largely seniors, were fed up with the General Assembly’s failure to pass any significant reforms.
The legislature approved a negotiated budget on Wednesday that includes a few modest reforms. The budget limits school district carryover to 40%, eliminates all replacement levies and limits the use of some school district levies, adjusts 20-mill floor calculations and gives local budget commissioners more power to trim bloated budgets.
Former Ashtabula County Auditor David Thomas was handpicked by House leadership to shepherd property tax reform this year. He submitted a $3.5 billion tax saving bill — known as House Bill 335 — that would have among other things erased unvoted inside millage for all governmental entities and schools except townships — they don’t have any other significant income streams — but inside millage eradication didn’t make it in the budget.
A couple provisions of HB 335 made it into the budget but he told this news outlet he was disappointed House Bill 186 didn’t make it int the budget. It would limit increases in property tax revenues for school districts at the 20-mill floor to the three-year average rate of inflation following a reappraisal or update. Property owners would receive credits for taxes charged over the inflation rate.
While most legislators are leaving for summer break, Thomas said he’ll be working to drum up support for passing this measure as a stand alone bill after the break.
He said he never thought the group would get the signatures in time for November, but their efforts have been significant.
“I told folks I’m not worried about this year, I am worried about next year,” he said. “They’ve been very helpful in helping us push these initiatives. Taking a step back, what we’re passing today, three years ago was impossible.”
Warren County Auditor Matt Nolan, who is president of the County Auditors Association of Ohio, said the budget as it currently stands doesn’t do much to help property taxpayers.
He said House Speaker Matt Huffman promised the budget wasn’t the only tax reform vehicle.
“We’re going to hold the speaker to his word that he’s going to pass stand-alone bills, that hasn’t happened in history but you know we’re happy they didn’t do any of the crazy things like getting rid of inside millage and things like that,” he said. “There were real opportunities to do more and we’re disappointed that they didn’t, because taxpayers need a break.”
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