Letters to the editor: Abolishing property taxes only choice in Ohio

The amount I pay to the Edgewood School District is $1467.22 of the total. That’s 58.4% of my bill.

I’m 74 yrs old. Retired.

My children are 47 and 45. School tax NO BRAINER

Michael Bowman

Trenton

Revoking TPS a bad mistake for America

For Gov. DeWine to call the federal (Trump decree) to revoke the Temporary Protected Status a “mistake” is a very weak objection to what has been for Springfield a very beneficial infux of people.

I do not understand why Republicans will not stand up to Trump and strongly object and point out the total loss of logic or humanity in the revocation of the TPS for a group of individuals who have benefitted the city as well as themselves.

Of course, I’m just a retired music professor so what could I known about the logic that should be found in Washington.

Dan Duncan

Dayton

Let’s abolish property tax entirely

No development — commercial or industrial — has gone up in Ohio over the past 20 years without some long-term tax abatement, TIF, JEDD, or other fancy loophole.

It’s the state’s quiet confession: property taxes are so high that no sane developer would build here otherwise.

So how did we end up in this mess?

Our politicians have more money flowing through the state budget than ever, yet they’re still shortchanging the basics. They found $600 million for a new Cleveland Browns stadium - even though owner Jimmy Haslam is already a billionaire.

The same crew carved out billions more in corporate welfare, with Policy Matters Ohio estimating the state will forgo around $16.4 billion in tax revenue over the 2026-27 biennium alone, much of it benefiting giants like Intel, Amazon, BlackRock, and other data center operators. All while the legislature has thumbed its nose at the Ohio Supreme Court at least four times in the last 30 years - ignoring DeRolph v. State rulings that say the state, not local homeowners, has the constitutional duty (Article VI) to fund schools properly.

Look at the damage on the ground: In downtown Dayton, something like 90% of properties dodge taxes thanks to long-term abatements or other sweetheart deals, often handed to politically connected players.

The pattern repeats statewide—Franklin County (Columbus area) alone accounts for roughly 30% of all abated commercial property value in Ohio. Cities sell this as “revitalization” or “economic development,” but the real result is starving schools and local services that the rest of us actually depend on.

This rigged game has trapped Ohio in an endless levy cycle: School boards and other entities keep slapping the same levies on the ballot year after year until they squeak through, dumping the bill squarely on homeowners. Regular folks don’t have the lobbyists or connections to score a 30-year tax holiday—Amazon, Google, and Meta sure do, and they milk it for massive data centers.Enough is enough.

That’s why I’m out circulating petitions to abolish the property tax in Ohio entirely. Getting rid of it kills this whole corrupt charade once and for all and finally puts everyday Ohioans on a level field with the corporate giants. No more special breaks for the connected few while the rest of us foot the bill. If you’re fed up too, sign the petition.

Head to AXOHTAX.COM to find where you can sign or learn more. Let’s actually own our homes in this state.

Auston Hensley

Beavercreek

Property tax question must be answered

Ohioans are focused on affordability as we head into the political season. At the top of that list is property taxes. So much so, that abolishment of property taxes may appear on the ballot. Whether it does make the ballot or not – every single candidate for state and local office needs to answer two questions with specificity:

A simple “FOR” or “AGAINST” the initiative is not enough. It’s a cop out - no matter your litany of reasoning. That litany of reasons will not solve the problem. They are excuses for not solving the problem.

Voters deserve real plans, real numbers, real mechanisms specifically identified. We deserve solutions. What mechanism will you propose to replace the revenue and what will it cost the average family? Will you make cuts – be specific, “fraud, waste, and abuse” is not an answer. Where is the gravy train and whose getting our tax dollars that shouldn’t?

As we have learned, “trickle down economics” doesn’t work, we’ve also learned that “privatizing government” has failed to save us money. It’s become politicized, monetized, and more costly.

Will you support raising sales or income taxes to replace the lost revenues on the local level? or the state level? How much will be needed? Who will pay it and on what? And more importantly, who isn’t going to be paying for it. And, how do we reconcile state funding systems that have been ruled unconstitutional?

Will you change the way we allocate existing revenues on the state level in order to properly fund local needs? Will we see an end to Corporate Welfare programs that eat up about $68 billion in taxes paid to the state and send those funds to compensate local jurisdictions for the lost revenues used for schools, public safety, roads, and the local government fund, as mandated by the Ohio Constitution? Or will we opt to cut Medicaid funding for our elderly, disabled, and children in order to replace the property tax revenues?

This is not an election for ideologies or partisanship. It is an election in search of answers for making Ohio affordable again. Voters deserve and need solutions. Put them on the table and let voters decide which candidate proposes the best solutions.

Carrie Davis

Cincinnati