Property tax relief is a hot topic in the Ohio Legislature, with more than a dozen bills pending as the General Assembly closes at the end of next month. House Speaker Jason Stephens believes passing major property tax reform before the end of the year is unlikely due to the complexity of the issue. The property tax commission is working on finding a consensus for a doable solution, but no report has been released yet.
Some limited property tax relief measures have been passed, such as SB43 allowing surviving spouses of disabled veterans to benefit from the Homestead tax provision, and HB57 providing assistance to low-income and disabled senior citizens. However, bills for more comprehensive fixes, like capping the amount of property tax a resident would have to pay, have faced obstacles. Talks of putting a property tax fix before voters in the form of an amendment have not materialized.
Homeowners in Ohio are concerned about high property tax bills following significant increases in valuations. Lawmakers are committed to passing relief, but major reform may have to wait until next year. The legislative session is coming to a close, and if bills are not passed, the process would have to start over in the new year. Residents are hopeful for positive changes in property tax laws to provide relief in the future.
Source
Photo credit www.statenews.org
