For part one, the commission is rolling back about half of the county’s inside millage collection next year for a total tax break of $12.5 million. For the second part, the commission is tossing what some have termed a “political football” that was authorized in the state’s budget by removing some revenue from other taxing entities.
The commissioners held a press conference to announce the tax savings — believed to be the first in the state — and called on all residents to join them in a fight to get state legislators and the governor to finally act on property tax reform.
Commissioner Don Dixon, who spearheaded the effort, said Columbus has ignored the county’s repeated pleas for property tax relief long enough, so they are building a group of citizens who will converge on the state capitol and make them listen, “we played by the rules, went through all the proper procedures and got lied to and lied to and lied to, now it’s time we take a stand.”
“We’re going to have to make them do what we want them to do, it’s time we stand up, damn mad about it and I think everybody else is too,” he said. “If we can’t convince with our group when we go to Columbus and our petitions with 400,000 people strong, then I say we do our own constitutional amendment, put it on the ballot, put some guardrails in, limit the increases. One way or the other we have to fix this, we’re not going to sit here and take it quietly.”
Dixon told the Journal-News previously they are working on ballot language for a constitutional amendment — that will limit but not eliminate property taxes — and it should be ready for the attorney general’s approval soon. He first raised the ballot issue last month during the fifth summit county leaders have held trying to tackle property tax reform.
The only property tax reform measure in the biennium budget Gov. Mike DeWine didn’t veto, the so-called “piggyback” property tax provision, gives county commissioners the authority to essentially double the state-funded Homestead exemptions and 2.5% owner-occupancy credits for eligible property owners using local dollars.
This tax give-back marks the second time the commissioners have given taxpayers a break. The commissioners rolled back the county’s entire inside millage in 2022, saving taxpayers roughly $18.5 million. Last year, they waived the $6 million property tax windfall that was derived from an average 37% property value jump during the 2023 value update.
“Today we are voting to return additional dollars to the taxpayers making the amount almost $50 million,” Commissioner Cindy Carpenter said. “And that is unprecedented.”
Commissioner T.C. Rogers noted “what we’re doing is special” and said the county has been a leader on the issue of tax reform, waging a historic fight with the state tax commissioner over the 2020 property value explosion, convening the summits with state lawmakers to try and find solutions and giving money back to taxpayers.
“I hope by this time the residents of Butler County believe, that in their best interests they now know we hear you, we work for you and we give back to you,” Rogers said.
The commissioners said the tax break would not adversely impact services. A sales tax distribution report by the Ohio Department of Taxation shows the county has collected $47.4 million so far this year compared to $44.5 million a year ago.
The $132 million in general fund tax budget for next year — which was approved prior to this decision — shows the county will open the year with $164.2 million in unincumbered cash in the bank and is expected to end with $43.8 million in carryover.
They were also asked how the Homestead piggyback will impact the local schools. A report from the county auditor shows doubling the Homestead benefit would reduce revenues for all taxing bodies by about $7.6 million. An early estimate also showed due to the 37% value hike, all taxing bodies collectively would likely receive a $78.3 million tax “windfall.”
Dixon said the current system allows these huge increases and encouraged people to call their offices and join the fight, “this 37% these are crazy numbers, I mean even a drunken sailor would be able to realize these numbers are just astronomical” and are putting “more people at risk of losing their homes.”
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