For most, property taxes have soared while personal income has stayed stagnant, while at the same time additional property tax levies have been added. Most seniors who live on fixed incomes, new families struggling to purchase their first home and residents have felt the squeeze of rising prices and taxes.
The frustration for many isn’t just the size of the tax bill, but unpredictable tax bills, understanding the process, and even control. This has led to a citizen-led statewide ballot initiative in the works whose goal is to eliminate property taxes in the Buckeye state all together. Republicans in the Ohio General Assembly responding to homeowner’s concerns pushed for reforms to slow runaway property tax growth.
Ohio policy experts have long cautioned Ohio’s property tax setup does permit governments to benefit automatically if home values rise without a ballot vote. As Greg Lawson of the Buckeye Institute, a Columbus-based free market public-policy thinktank, has noted property taxes typically rise without the voters ever voting to set a higher rate.
The new reforms introduced several months ago by state lawmakers are an attempt to address this disparity. From 2026 onward, homeowners generally will have to face slower growth for growth of their property tax bill, as it would be based on more stringent homestead exemptions, reworded owner-occupancy credits and tightening limits on some school levies and over-inflow of carryover charges. The idea: Homeowners should not be punished just because the housing market boomed.
Additional changes include emergency and substitute levies will no longer be allowed after 2026. The Buckeye Institute faults these levies as covering up the cost of taxation. Another important adjustment is linking future growth in property tax collections to inflation rather than uncontrolled valuation spikes. This shift provides predictability to a system that has taken homeowners by surprise in every county reassessment round.
Local governments are already responding to pressure from taxpayers. In Butler County, commissioners voted to roll back some of existing millage and greatly expand the county’s homestead “piggyback” credit. The commissioners provided immediate aid to homeowners and demonstrated serious tax relief can be obtained without cutting essential services. Rumors are the counties surrounding Montgomery County are possibly going to follow Butler County.
Similarly, in Montgomery County there have been similar fears as a result of increasing valuations, and this will be an election issue for 2026. Throughout the Miami Valley, homeowners have begged county and local leaders to recognize higher taxes weigh on household budgets along with pulling their monies that could be used for property updates and local economy purchases.
Some critics are concerned slowing property taxes could harm school districts or local governments. Responsible leadership isn’t about constant revenue growth. It’s about thinking creatively to do more with less, something the private sector does and is compelled to do to stay in business.
To be clear, there is a need for levies. There are essential services such as police, fire, roads, schools, and more. The aim is to force local governments to rein in excess and to be more transparent, consistent and predictable.
Families in the Miami Valley should be able to budget for the future and not fear a hot real estate market will tip their finances upside down so they can achieve a tenant of the American Dream.
Rob Scott, a Republican, is the Kettering Clerk of Court, attorney and small business owner.