Tom Young | The Ohio House of Representatives
Tom Young | The Ohio House of Representatives
State Representative Tom Young (R-Washington Twp.) has supported two legislative measures aimed at reducing property tax increases for Ohio residents. The initiatives, known as House Bill 186 and House Bill 335, are part of a broader effort by the Ohio House Majority Caucus to deliver over $2.4 billion in property tax relief.
House Bill 186 introduces an Inflation Cap Credit that will limit school district property tax increases to the rate of inflation. This measure is expected to save property owners nearly $1.7 billion over three years. The bill also includes funding to ensure that school districts do not experience actual revenue losses during this appraisal period, even if they are not undergoing reappraisal or reevaluation this year.
House Bill 335 addresses inside millage collections, capping their growth at the rate of inflation as well. County budget commissions will be required to adjust levy rates so that they do not increase by more than the total inflation of the previous three years during regular property value updates. This change is projected to provide between $621 million and $763 million in additional relief over three years.
Representative Young commented on the measures: “This has a positive, long-term effect for property owners and governmental entities. In HB 186: 20-Mill Floor Inflation Cap and HB 335: Inside Millage Inflation Cap all interested parties were represented.”
These bills build on previous legislative efforts from the House Republican Caucus, which have included direct relief for seniors, disabled veterans, and families of first responders through homestead exemptions and owner-occupancy tax credits; reforms aimed at simplifying levies; efforts to prevent fraud via a new statewide screening system; updates for ballot language transparency; and requirements for local governments to report unvoted tax increases.
Other related legislation recently passed by the Ohio House includes:
- House Bill 129, which counts various types of levies toward a threshold designed to slow rapid tax increases and removes 237 districts from exceeding that threshold.
- House Bill 309, which gives county budget commissions more authority to modify levies with unnecessarily high rates.
- House Bill 124, empowering county auditors with more oversight regarding property sales information used in valuations.
Both House Bills 186 and 335 now move to the Ohio Senate for further consideration.
Alerts Sign-up