A photograph of the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus, OH.
The Ohio Statehouse in Columbus. Credit: Ohio State House

Cuyahoga County homeowners who have exhausted local tax relief options have another place to direct their attention: Columbus. For weeks, county officials have blamed state lawmakers for failing to pass laws that would lessen the impact of rising property values on vulnerable residents.

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. 

Since 2023, lawmakers have introduced more than a dozen bills aimed at property tax relief.

Here are a few of the pending property tax relief bills

The Ohio Homeowner Relief Act (House Bill 187)

Temporarily increases the maximum income for the Homestead Exemption from $38,600 to $75,000 for eligible seniors and people with disabilities. The bill would also require the use of three-year averages when re-evaluating property values and mandate that the Ohio Department of Taxation work with county auditors on the process. As written, the expansion would extend through property tax year 2025.

70 under 70 (House Bill 263)

Freezes property taxes at current levels for people older than 70 with household incomes less than $70,000 per year. Seniors would have to own their homes for at least 10 years to qualify.

Property Tax Circuit Breaker (House Bill 645 and Senate Bill 271)

If property taxes consume more than 5% of a person’s income, they could be eligible for a refundable income tax credit. The circuit breaker applies to homeowners of all ages and includes renters.

The Ohio Homeowner Relief Act (House Bill 187) has passed both the Ohio House and Senate but in different versions. The bill still needs another vote before it can be signed by the governor.

Most of these bills have not been acted on since 2023. The Property Tax Circuit Breaker was introduced in 2024 and also hasn’t moved forward.

Why? Advocates and local lawmakers say the inaction is due to infighting between Republican lawmakers at the top: House Speaker Jason Stephens (R-District 93) and Senate President Matt Huffman (R-Lima). 

Huffman is at the end of his Senate term, having spent eight years as a state senator with four as Senate president. He is running unopposed for a House seat – and eyeing the speakership role that becomes available every two years. 

Neither Stephens nor Huffman returned Signal Cleveland’s calls or emails about the property tax relief bills.

Residents need more than just ‘band-aids’

Cuyahoga County Fiscal Officer Michael Chambers and his staff have fielded questions from thousands of angry residents who want relief from paying next year’s increased property taxes. 

Multiple bills with “good ideas” have been introduced in Columbus, but they haven’t crossed the finish line, Chambers said. Only leadership can call for a vote and neither Huffman nor Stephens has, despite widespread bipartisan support for the bills.

“This is strictly a leadership problem. If they wanted to fix it, they could,” said Chambers. 

Cuyahoga County is part of the County Auditors’ Association, which has pushed for state lawmakers to pass property tax relief for residents. Chambers said the association’s lobbyist, Tom Pappas, said that nothing is being considered until after the November election. 

“That’s months and months of nothing getting done,” said Chambers. 

Lawmakers have tinkered with a few different options to bring property tax relief to Ohioans. Right now, much of that relief is focused on seniors and people with disabilities by temporarily expanding the Homestead Exemption through House Bill 187.

Ohio’s Homestead Exemption allows seniors and people with disabilities on limited incomes to reduce their property tax bills by shielding some of the market value of their homes from taxation. As of right now, the maximum amount that can be deducted from the home value is $25,000. For example, a home with a market value of $100,000 is taxed as though it were worth $75,000. 

“It doesn’t do what needs to be done. Band-aids don’t help seniors at risk,” wrote County Council Member Michael Gallagher in an email to Signal Cleveland. Gallagher said the bill should include “all seniors” and expressed his frustration with lawmakers in Columbus.

Learn more about Ohio’s Homestead Exemption

Currently, the exemption is limited to seniors, people with disabilities, and some surviving spouses who make less than $38,600 per year. Click here for more information.

Tax relief based on income, not property value

Some policy advocates have also been critical of House Bill 187’s effectiveness.

“It’s not comprehensive enough,” said Bailey Williams, a tax researcher at Policy Matters Ohio, a left-leaning research institute. House Bill 187 is “not a great mechanism to really offer the property tax relief to people who truly need it.”

Instead, Policy Matters Ohio has been advocating for an alternative that they call “a property tax circuit breaker.” Like an electrical circuit breaker – which prevents electric current from overloading – a property tax circuit breaker would reduce the load if property taxes are too high compared to a person’s income. 

Unlike existing programs, the circuit breaker is one of the few that is open to people of all ages, including renters. It’s based on income instead of property value, according to Williams.

“If your property taxes take up more than 5% of your income – whatever value or property tax bill is about that – you’ll get a refund or a rebate from the state to help offset some of the cost of your tax burden,” said Williams. 

It would also be fully paid for by the state, which would ensure schools continue to receive the revenue they need to educate students, he said. By contrast, House Bill 187 would only reimburse schools for 50% of the lost revenue. 

Williams also said that he does not expect the legislature to take up any major property tax relief this year. 

“That’s not to say the legislature should not act. There is only so much local officials can do in terms of offering relief,” said Williams.

County officials have very few local options for property tax relief

The county has very few tools to offer relief, officials said. Property owners can challenge their assessment values, sign-up for a deferment payment program, etc. These are very piecemeal efforts, said Williams, who agreed that the state is in the best position to offer tax relief. 

Chambers said the county is making progress toward unveiling a program for seniors who owe delinquent property taxes. The program is expected to launch later this year. 

“We don’t want to see people lose their homes,” he said. Chambers said a permanent fix must come from the state. Gov. Mike DeWine should get Huffman and Stephens in a room and tell them to “fix this thing,” he said. 

Signal background

MORE CUYAHOGA COUNTY PROPERTY TAXES

Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.

Service Journalism Reporter (she/her)
I am dedicated to untangling bureaucracy so Clevelanders can have the information (and the power) they want. I spent 10 years on the frontlines of direct service working with youth and system-impacted communities before receiving my degree in media advocacy at Northeastern University.