Ohio House votes to override DeWine veto on key property tax reform

The Ohio House of Representatives voted to override Republican Gov. Mike DeWine’s veto of key property tax reforms, but fell short of the more dramatic action they seemingly promised.

Lawmakers, by a 61-28 vote, opted to override DeWine’s veto of Item 66, the School District Property Tax Levy Restrictions. DeWine vetoed the provision, which was included in the amended version of House Bill 96, the state’s two-year budget.

Lawmakers needed 60 votes for the override. The Ohio Senate has not set a time to consider the override, and House members did not override two other vetoes DeWine issued, which lawmakers expected to consider during the special session on Monday.

“Governor DeWine’s misguided vetoes—cheered on by progressive Democrats and quietly enabled by some Republicans—sought to paper over Ohio’s property tax crisis rather than confront it,” Americans for Prosperity–Ohio State Director Donovan O’Neil said in a statement. “Today, the Ohio House took an important first step in rejecting that broken approach.

“While this vote today is far from the finish line, it represents real momentum toward delivering structural relief and restoring balance for taxpayers across our state,” O’Neil added. “AFP-Ohio applauds the House for standing with Ohioans—not the bureaucracy—and we urge the Senate to act swiftly. We’re ready to help make the case to every corner of the Buckeye State that real reform can’t wait.”

The overriding issue facing Buckeye State leaders is the state’s rising property taxes.

“We’re in a crisis, and when we’re in a crisis, you act immediately,” Rep. David Thomas, R-Jefferson, told WCMH-TV.

Should the Senate agree with the House, school districts and political subdivisions would be prohibited from levying replacement property tax levies. It would also eliminate school districts’ authority to levy fixed-sum emergency, substitute emergency levies and renewal levies with increases.

“This is one small step, one moderate step, as were all three of the vetoes,” House Speaker Matt Huffman, R-Lima, told The Columbus Dispatch. “That’s why I’m flabbergasted that the governor would veto these and say, ‘Well, let’s just keep studying it.’”

Critics argue that the veto could hinder local jurisdictions’ ability to adequately fund the tax dollars required for operations.

“These levies serve as important tools for school districts as they seek to maintain their long-term financial stability,” DeWine wrote in a veto message, WCMH-TV reported.

Democrats opposed the move.

“We’re depriving our communities of needed resources while simultaneously tying their hands as they scramble to make up the difference,” said Rep. Beryl Brown Piccolantonio, D-Gahanna, told The Columbus Dispatch.

DeWine has also appointed a pair of former state lawmakers to lead the Property Tax Reform Working Group. The governor informally announced the group, which is tasked with exploring property tax relief in the Buckeye State.

Former state Reps. Bill Seitz and Pat Tiberi, both Republicans, will co-chair the working group. Tiberi is a former congressman, president, and CEO of the Ohio Business Roundtable.

Meanwhile, Attorney General Dave Yost called on county officials to take charge and lead the effort to overhaul the state’s property tax system. Yost wants elected county officials to form a coalition to address property taxes before a citizen-led ballot initiative eliminates them.

“We’ve heard from Ohioans across the state that they want property tax reform,” O’Neil added. “These town halls helped elevate Buckeye Blueprint champions and gave citizens a direct line to action.”