Ohio and Cuyahoga County officials told residents this week that they are working hard to pass property tax relief, especially for those who are at risk of losing their homes due to rising values and taxes.
Now, they are urging people to press state lawmakers for help.
“We’ve heard your concern,” County Executive Chris Ronayne said during a news conference Tuesday. “We understand … the financial burden these taxes will place on families trying to make ends meet.”
Lissa Rocco, director of operations for the county treasurer’s office, was more direct: “Call your state reps. That’s what needs to happen.”
Over the last year, state lawmakers have introduced quite a few bills to provide some form of tax relief to Ohioans. But despite broad bipartisan support, the bills have largely stalled because of infighting between Republican lawmakers at the top: House Speaker Jason Stephens (R-District 93) and Senate President Matt Huffman (R-Lima).
“If it was a priority, then we would be on the floor,” said State Rep. Phillip M. Robinson (D-Solon). “We’d be voting. So really, the ball is in their court.”
Robinson and other state lawmakers – Bride Rose Sweeney (D-Westlake) and Sean Brennan (D-Parma) – spoke about the gridlock in Columbus that is preventing lawmakers from addressing the calls for property tax relief.
Brennan, a former public school teacher, said residents need to be “actively engaged.”
“They need to reach out to their state representative, their state senator, and let them know that they expect the legislature to act and to give them some relief,” he told Signal Cleveland.
Don’t know who represents you in Columbus? Enter your address on this website to find out. You can also ask the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections by calling 216-443-8683.
Brennan charged that “flawed” state policies have led to tax cuts that have reduced money available to local communities. As a result, he said, local governments and other agencies are forced to ask taxpayers to pass levies to fund police and fire services, libraries, schools and infrastructure, among other things.
With “the simple flourish of a pen,” state lawmakers are eliminating money and suggesting communities can do without it, he said.
Seniors are getting hit the hardest
Seniors are in a lose-lose situation, said Robinson, who recounted the pleas from seniors and retirees during a town hall meeting earlier this year.
Robinson said they complained: “‘Look, I’ve done all the right things. I’ve played by the rules. I’ve done everything you said and now you’re raising my property taxes and I don’t know how I’m going to be able to keep up with that.’”
For weeks, county officials have promised to launch a program this year to aid seniors behind on taxes.
The program would provide direct assistance for paying property taxes and for housing counseling services, Ronayne said at the news conference. He said seniors can also find help through existing programs, such as Homestead Exemption and Owner Occupancy Credit, as well as from payment plans.
Ronayne also encouraged residents to take advantage of the informal appeal process. Property owners have until Friday, Aug. 30, to challenge their new property values in hopes of getting a reduction. Cuyahoga County is one of only five Ohio counties that offer the informal review process, Ronayne said.
