COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio Republican lawmakers are proposing massive property tax reform, saying their plan could provide billions in direct relief to homeowners. Local governments and schools say it would come at their expense.
We've been talking to homeowners like Debra Weygandt for years. She told us how her property values increased by more than 30% in the most recent reappraisals.
"It's the first time I've ever seen this big jump like this," Debra Weygandt in Akron's Highland Square told News 5 in 2024.
Homeowners in different areas across the state are seeing similar hikes. Like Ed Livernois, who was shocked when we spoke to him about his increase last summer.
"I just got a heart attack," Livernois said.
But state lawmakers say they have a solution.
"$3.5 billion dollars of direct property tax relief to every property owner across the state of Ohio," said state Rep. David Thomas (R-Jefferson).
Thomas, with the support of state Rep. Bill Roemer (R-Richfield) introduced H.B. 335, a massive property tax relief bill. Among many provisions, the bill limits how much money school districts can get from rising home values — without going to the ballot.
"Eliminating inside millage means that when we see valuation increases, our property owners will not see their tax bills going up near what they've seen over the last five years," Thomas said.
Parma City Schools Superintendent Charles Smialek said that the bill would take away $1.5 billion from schools — with no replacement funding mechanism.
"How they anticipate we're going to continue to provide any type of services with $1.5 billion less than we collect right now is just unfathomable to me," Smialek said.
Lawmakers say that schools can go back to the voters for help. But Parma has already been struggling. It has had seven failed levies since 2018.
"We've been able to continue to provide a great education for students despite the fact that we haven't had new money since 2011, but we've reached a point where we can't continue to do that," Smialek said. "We will have to make very difficult decisions, and it's bad for kids."
Schools are also facing other funding challenges. State lawmakers have passed legislation slashing their expected budget by hundreds of millions.
RELATED: Ohio Senate passes budget, giving Browns $600M grant, tax cut to wealthy, changes school funding
Schools will need to cut staff, classes and extracurricular activities, the superintendent said.
Roemer said that there are other ways schools can save money.
"We want to use this bill as one facet of having those conversations, which could be hard conversations, about shared services, consolidation, mergers, so that costs can be reduced," Roemer said.
H.B. 335 is just the latest in property reform legislation. The General Assembly has been considering 19 bills.
On Thursday, the County Auditors Association of Ohio met to announce its proposed solution:
Because H.B. 335 is brand new, homeowners like Weygandt haven't gotten a chance to weigh in on it at the statehouse. But last year, she talked about her struggles.
"Just with everything going up all the last years, it's really hitting the pocketbook," she said.
A group of homeowners is taking tax relief into their own hands — fighting to get a constitutional amendment on the November ballot that would abolish property taxes.
This was put forward, in part, to get lawmakers to do something, organizers say:
RELATED: Ohio citizens working to get proposal on ballot to abolish property taxes
With reporting from News 5's Michelle Jarboe.
Follow WEWS statehouse reporter Morgan Trau on Twitter and Facebook.
