A topic that has received a lot of attention from readers over the last week has been property tax reform.

In today’s Morning Briefing, we take an in-depth look at efforts from Ohio legislators to address the issue and how one citizen’s group is taking action in an effort to eliminate property taxes altogether.

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The newsletter should take about 2 minutes, 54 seconds to read.

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Eliminating property taxes could ‘cripple’ Ohio governments, critics say

If a proposal to end property taxes in Ohio makes the November ballot and is approved by voters, property taxes would end on Jan. 1, 2026.

• Property tax collections: Property tax collections for 2023 totaled $22.6 billion. State and local income taxes last year totaled $13.8 billion and sales tax $18 billion.

• What are property taxes used for? They fund schools and all forms of local government that provide services like police, fire and EMS, and social services.

• What they are saying: “Township services are provided mainly through property tax levies passed by township residents. If the property tax is eliminated townships would have no revenue sources to provide the quality of life services that 35% of Ohio residents depend on,” said Heidi Fought, executive director of the Ohio Township Association.

• Schools: Property taxes across the state fund more than half of education spending and some districts rely on property taxes for 90% of their funding. Schools also receive federal, state and in some cases income tax funding.

Effort to end property tax could spur ‘dramatic’ reform from Ohio lawmakers

Legislative leaders are promising “dramatic and impactful” reforms as petitions are circulating by a group of citizens who want to eliminate property taxes that pay for local services.

• Citizens group: The Committee to Eliminate Property Taxes, a citizens group based in Cuyahoga County, cleared a hurdle — approval by the Ohio Ballot Board — to place a constitutional amendment on the November ballot eliminating property taxes.

• Next step: The next milestone is more like a mountain: collecting at least 413,487 valid signatures from voters in at least 44 of Ohio’s 88 counties by July 1.

• What they are saying: “We’re going to have circulators everywhere,” said Beth Blackmarr, the spokesperson for Citizens for Property Tax Reform. “We have probably thousands of people working across Ohio on this effort.”

• What legislators are saying: “We need to do something dramatic here or clear or tangible or whatever word it is someone wants to use, to make the public know, OK we’re actually addressing these skyrocketing local taxes,” House Speaker Matt Huffman, R-Lima said.

• Budget measure: The House-passed budget includes an estimated $4 billion savings for taxpayers by forcing school districts to cut their cash carryover to 30%. Schools collect roughly two-thirds of property taxes.

• What critics are saying: Critics say the measure — which could cost local school districts more than $500 million — would force schools to spend money and punish them for being fiscally responsible.

• Other reform efforts: There have been 18 House bills and seven Senate measures — a dozen or so are recycled from the last General Assembly — introduced to attack property tax reform. The only other measure to really progress so far this year is eliminating replacement tax levies. It passed the House last month but hasn’t had a Senate hearing yet.