Some Ohioans still want to abolish property taxes even after DeWine signs multiple relief bills

A growing number of Ohioans still want to abolish property taxes altogether, even after Gov. Mike DeWine’s recent signing of a package of property tax relief bills into law.

DeWine, a Republican, signed three bills aimed at slowing property tax growth and limiting automatic increases tied to rising home values. While state leaders described the legislation as meaningful relief for homeowners, anti-property-tax advocates argue that the measures don’t go far enough, and some Ohioans want to eliminate property taxes, the Ohio Capital Journal reported.

Grassroots organizers said that they are working to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot to abolish property taxes, adding that caps, reviews, and inflation limits do little for homeowners on fixed incomes who have already paid off their mortgages but are still required to pay the property taxes. The advocates claimed that property ownership without full ownership rights remains the fundamental issue.

State Rep. Dave Thomas, R-Jefferson, has been one of the more outspoken voices advocating for the abolition of property taxes, telling Ohio.News in an exclusive interview that eliminating property taxes is “very possible.”

While Thomas has acknowledged that complete elimination would carry significant consequences, including the need to replace billions of dollars in funding for schools and local governments, he said that his fellow lawmakers cannot ignore Ohioans’ frustrations with the state’s property taxes.

He also warned that ending property taxes without a replacement plan could lead to higher income or sales taxes, which would only shift the burden. Thomas added that lawmakers must be honest about the system’s long-term sustainability and listen to voters who feel trapped by taxes tied to property values they cannot control.

State Rep. Beth Lear, R-Galena, who is running for the Ohio Senate, has made property taxes a central issue in her platform, saying the system disproportionately harms homeowners who have paid off their mortgages yet still face rising tax bills.

In her exclusive interview with Ohio.News, Lear said that the property taxes are negatively affecting working families, retirees, and even residents in traditionally higher-income districts.

Lear criticized her fellow lawmakers for not caring enough about the issue.

“I’m not seeing much concern down in the legislature, except from a handful of us,” she said.

Lear also said that the lawmakers failed to understand and, therefore, address the deeper philosophical question of whether Ohioans should effectively be “renting” their homes from the government.