Ohioans turn to Statehouse for property tax relief as bills stall, time runs short

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Ohioans are asking lawmakers at the Statehouse to bring them some relief on property taxes.

“Somebody’s got to step up and somebody's got to be concerned about these seniors, about disabled, about these people losing their homes,” Ohio homeowner Pastor Frederick V. LaMarr said.

It is an issue that several lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have said is the number one complaint they hear from their constituents. NBC4’s Statehouse Reporter Natalie Fahmy counted at least 18 related bills that have been introduced at the statehouse to address the issue.

“I don't find relief when you say, ‘Well, we're going to do another,’” LaMarr said. “Just to say, ‘OK, we are going to have another bill.’ Well, is that bill going to be in time to save somebody's home? Or is somebody going to look back and say, ‘Well, if we had passed that bill in time my mother or my grandmother would be still in that house.’”

Of those 18 bills, two have made it across the finish line: Senate Bill 43, which modifies the homestead exemption for surviving spouses of disabled veterans, and House Bill 57, which passed in the state budget to help seniors and disabled Ohioans.  

“That's good. But what about everybody else? You know, fix it for everybody,” LaMarr said. “You can say ‘it helped this one.’ But what about all those that missed it? We've got to be fair and equitable to everybody to make sure everybody has the fair chance to stay in their home.”

LaMarr said he bought his first home in 1983. Now, he owns a few different houses that he rents out to elderly people in his community. He said property taxes doubled for each of those homes this past year.

“I can't pass it on to an elderly person because then that's going force them out of their home, you know? So, I got to bite the bullet,” he said.

But LaMarr said a lot of people, especially elderly Ohioans in his community, just feel "hopeless,” and said many just walk away from their homes because they get taxed out and have nowhere to turn for a relief.

“Because of the fact that that y’all was playing Tiddledywinks in the Statehouse, people are losing their homes. People are being homeless,” he said. “They end up losing their home for taxes while y’all are playing in the Statehouse.”

Lawmakers at the Statehouse, like Senator Bill Blessing (R-Colerain Township) said despite "huge intensity" over housing issues, it is not that straight forward.

“Some of the proposals that center around freezing property taxes or shifting around local money have constitutional problems, in addition to the fact that they do pull money away from local governments,” he said.

Blessing said he thinks the issue needs to be addressed in three ways: by modifying the homestead exemption, as was done in the budget; with a property tax circuit breaker bill, like Senate Bill 271; and with a property tax deferral program.

“What (the deferral program) does is it kind of acts like a reverse mortgage, but it's underwritten by the state,” he said. “So, think if you're a low-income senior and you can't afford your property taxes, the state starts to take on the burden of these extra property tax increases that you can't afford.”

Blessing said he also thinks anything that is passed needs to include means testing.

“I'm very concerned that if we just do something across the board pro-rata, then you're going to have very wealthy people, large housing investors getting money and actually then using that money as leverage to buy up more housing, which may actually make inflation worse,” he said.

Blessing also said some legislation, like House Bill 187, aiming to bring relief are “just heartbreakingly close to the finish line.”

HB 187 awaits a final vote from the House before heading to the governor's desk. Blessing said Ohioans have the right to be frustrated.

“Some folks think that this actually is something that the market will work it out,” he said. “And then there's others like myself, Rep. (Dani) Isaacsohn, Rep. (Dan) Troy, Rep. (Bill) Roemer and others who are deeply concerned about it and have introduced legislation to that effect.”

NBC4 asked both the spokesperson for the Ohio Senate and Ohio House GOP the same question: Should Ohioans be frustrated after the introduction of all these bills, with little action?

In a statement, a spokesperson for the Ohio House GOP said, “For the first time in almost two decades, we provided real property tax relief for seniors and veterans in the budget through increases to the homestead exemption — helping those who need it most. Property taxes are a complex issue over 40 years in the making. It is also important to remember they are local taxes not dictating by the state. By introducing multiple bills, the House has demonstrated the goal is to achieve meaningful solutions for Ohio homeowners.”

Spokesperson for the Ohio Senate Republicans, John Fortney said, “The Senate has been very involved in addressing the rising cost of housing which also generates an increase in property taxes. From passing extra relief by revising the homestead exemption income ceiling, to the Senate’s Select Committee on Housing which held hearings around the state, we are engaged on being part of a long-term solution. Keep in mind, property taxes are directly affected by local and county levies. When local organizations continually ask for an increase, property taxpayers also need to ask what that agency or organization’s budget is now, what their expenditures are, and why a new millage is being requested.”

As far as levies go, last year there were 1,009 property tax related issues on ballots across the state, of which 858, or about 85%, passed. A property tax study committee at the Statehouse will soon be releasing their findings and suggested solutions.

The complete list of property tax bills at the Ohio Statehouse includes: