COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine's new property tax reform working group met on Thursday to discuss relieving the burden homeowners are facing. The group has not been well received by some Republican leaders, who are not obligated to act upon the group's suggestions.
The working group has 60 days to attempt to solve what business leader Pat Tiberi and former state Rep. Bill Seitz say is the most challenging issue in Ohio: property tax relief and reform.
"Our objective is to provide as much meaningful property tax relief as we can, particularly to those who need it most, and do it in a way that does not break the bank of the state of Ohio," Seitz said during the meeting.
DeWine assigned the pair to co-chair the new group, which is made up of local officials and school superintendents. The group has a report deadline of September 30, when the state budget bill goes into effect.
The governor created this group as a way to discourage overrides to his vetoes:
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House Speaker Matt Huffman (R-Lima) and the GOP have passed one override.
In the two-year state operating budget, DeWine vetoed restrictions on the ability to put emergency levies on the ballot or request an increase to a current levy. That provision eliminated levy replacements on property taxes for all political subdivisions. For schools, it would have prohibited them from imposing a fixed-sum emergency levy, a substitute emergency levy and a combined school district income tax and fixed-sum property tax levy. But the House narrowly passed an override on the provision, 61-28, just clearing the threshold of 60 votes.
The speaker also wants to override two other vetoes. However, he was unable to get the votes to override them.
DeWine removed a provision that would have allowed county budget commissions to unilaterally take money away from passed school levies if they find it "reasonably necessary."
He also vetoed another that would have required that emergency and substitute tax levies, incremental growth levies, conversion levies, and the property tax portion of combined income tax and property tax levies be included in the 20-mill floor calculation for school funding purposes.
"Transparency, clarity — gives the opportunity for voters to know what they're voting on, for locals to control taxes," Huffman said.
The governor’s working group isn’t necessary, he said.
"The legislature has studied and acted … I'm not interested in participating in that," Huffman said.
Neither is state Rep. David Thomas, who has been leading the override charge. He sighed when I brought it up to him.
"I don't know exactly what else could be put out there that's not already been said," Thomas said.
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Republicans have said that local governments should be responsible for providing property tax relief since appraisals have skyrocketed over the past few years.
Educators like John Patterson say that Ohio should bear the cost.
"The state has not done its best for local governments and for the school districts," Patterson said.
Schools and municipalities have been underfunded while the wealthy have received tax cuts, Patterson said.
"I'm asking for a balance between property tax, sales tax, and obviously, income tax, for all taxing entities across the state of Ohio," he said.
Veto overrides could lead to massive cuts, he said, to school programs and staffing.
RELATED: Ohio schools sound alarm with the governor over what they're calling a destructive budget
Local law enforcement and firefighters could also face challenges due to levy restrictions.
"The FOP is very concerned about potential reductions in funding for law enforcement across Ohio and are looking forward to seeing the results of Governor DeWine's task force," said Jay McDonald, President of the FOP of Ohio. "Many jurisdictions across Ohio are barely able to provide basic services now, and we are interested in hearing any ideas on how those services will be sustained with a reduction in revenue."
Tiberi said he knows that policy will need to have a balance, and every idea is on the table when coming up with relief.
"We have to figure this out because it's important to our citizens, it's important to our seniors, it's important to our kids who we want to stay here, live here, buy a house here and create a business here," Tiberi said.
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