By John Kennedy, Portage County Treasurer
Governor Mike DeWine is taking a lot of heat right now from his fellow Republicans for doing something most of his party doesn’t seem to have the temerity to do. He listened.
He listened to the many (I count myself among them) who called out the BS of the so-called “property tax fixes” state lawmakers snuck into this mammoth state budget bill. The “fix” Mr. DeWine vetoed amounted to nothing more than a clever snatch-and-grab out of the public school coffer, essentially penalizing and punishing public schools for being good stewards of their budgets. The snatch-and-grab scheme kicks in if public schools “carried over” a certain amount of cash from the prior year; once a certain percentage is reached, that “carryover” could then be distributed back to the taxpayer at the discretion of county budget commission members. While this won’t provide impactful property tax relief it does serve the intended purpose of defunding public education. Full disclosure – I sit on that budget commission, along with the county auditor and county prosecutor – and I certainly do not speak for the other members I serve alongside.
To me and many others in the county who look clear-eyed at the property tax and public school financing issues, we see the legislature’s demonization of public schools as a means to an end – the end being the rapid privatization of “public” education. That’s not hyperbole; that’s a data-supported trend. Just look at how much “public” money is being siphoned out by the state for private school vouchers – a whopping $1.5 billion with more to come, I’m sure. Those vilifying public schools claim a “lack of accountability” when it comes to how schools manage their budgets (attend a school board meeting, I say), yet these same folks are willing to shovel out billions to private schools, with no strings attached, no accountability or public disclosure required. Google “ECOT $117 million dollar scandal” and you’ll get a glimpse into how that worked out for the Ohio taxpayer.
While Mr. DeWine missed the goal post badly by approving a $600 million, taxpayer-backed loan to build a billionaire’s football stadium, he was right to nix the property tax “fix”. So what’s the proper “fix” to the property tax mess, you ask?
Start by listening. If a state lawmaker spent one hour in my office, listening in on calls or to conversations happening at our windows with seniors, this problem would get solved immediately. Better yet, spend an afternoon in Board of Revision (BOR) hearings, hearings provided to any taxpayer who wishes to contest the county’s valuation of their property. The vast majority of those hearings are with seniors. I’ve been in that room for 95 percent of the 600 plus hearings held since March, and though the individual stories are unique, the throughline is the same. Mr. Kennedy, I’m on fixed income. I don’t want to move. I want to spend the rest of my days in this home. I’m on the Homestead Exemption but that’s not enough. Can you do anything to help me?
When you hear versions of that story told and retold thousands of times over the course of the last two years like I have — in my office, in BOR hearings, at township trustee halls and county fairs — you realize the solution is very simple. Upgrade the Homestead Exemption Act by doubling (at the very least) the benefit by taking it from $25,000 off the valuation of your property to $50,000 or more. And increase the income eligibility requirement from $40,000 to $70,000, which expands the benefit’s reach. I know that you need to pay for all of that, but if this legislature can find creative ways to finance a new Browns stadium, I’m betting they could find the resources to do the right thing for our seniors.
And know what you’ll get in return? A collective exhale from our county’s 65 and older cohort as the property tax burden is lifted off their shoulders, no longer worried they’ll be taxed out of their homes. 600 plus BOR hearings dwindle to maybe 100 or so. Taking care of seniors also takes the wind out the sails of the campaign underway to eliminate property taxes.
My final bit of advice to our legislators heading back to Columbus to consider a potential override of Governor DeWine’s veto: Listen to your seniors; they are your priority. Pivot from overriding the Governor to upgrading the Homestead Exemption. Return another day to address how public schools are funded and to identify potential new sources of revenue to offset the residential property tax burden.
“I’m on fixed income. The Homestead Exemption is not enough. Can you do anything to help me?”
Listen. Then lead. Problem solved.
Editor’s note: The Portager publishes op-eds from the community. The opinions expressed are published not because they necessarily reflect those of the publication but because we feel they contribute meaningfully to the local discourse on matters of public interest.
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