HAMILTON, Ohio — A few dozen people crowded a back office room in the Butler County Government Center to call on Ohio legislators to change Ohio's tax rules to give them relief from skyrocketing property tax rates.
Vietnam veteran Larri Ballard came to the meeting with the hope of hearing something that would help him pay his bills after his property tax bill increased by more than $900 in 2024 alone.
"It's kind of hard to pay," Ballard said. "I'm on a fixed income and social security, so it makes a difference."
Ballard said he was hoping to hear some substantive solutions to an issue that has plagued people in Butler County for years and recently became big news across the state of Ohio.
"You've got to watch what you spend your money on, you know?" Ballard said.
Butler County Auditor Nancy Nix said her office has been on the front lines of complaint calls as prices rise, but her office can't do much other than evaluate the value of properties, calculate the tax bill and send the information to the treasurer for billing.
"We're taking all the calls, and then we send them to our lawmakers because nothing can happen without our lawmakers putting something through," Nix said.
Here are the solutions residents proposed for property tax relief:
That's why Nix organized Monday's town hall with four area state representatives to hear their proposals and pressure the state into acting.
State representatives Jennifer Gross, Thomas Hall, Diane Mullins and Rodney Creech attended the meeting. Senator George Lang was invited but couldn't attend due to medical issues, according to Nix.
The County Auditors Association of Ohio has proposed four major law changes to provide people relief, but Nix focused on two: eliminating the "floor" for school district property tax collection and increasing "homestead" benefits for people over the age of 65 and disabled veterans.
She said the latter of the two proposals would protect the people most vulnerable to excess taxation.
"That would target people," Nix said. "The problem with the Homestead is it would cost the state money."
Hall (R-District 46) said the Republican dominated House has 33 bills or "ideas" being tossed around as the legislative body prepares to put forward its biennium budget Tuesday. He hoped many property tax revisions could be addressed in that budget.
He said property taxes have gained the attention of many lawmakers beyond Butler County as property valuation rises.
"Now the whole state has endured what we've had to endure," he said.
The four representatives agreed with the need to provide property tax relief for homeowners, but Creech (R-District 40) said the question was how to do that without bankrupting area school districts that rely heavily on property taxes for revenue.
"Just reduce property taxes? It's that simple," Creech said. "No, it's not because for every time you make a change, it's like science class, for every action there's a reaction."
Ballard said he hoped lawmakers were at least listening to the plight of people like himself.
"They usually do, but whether they actually do anything or not is the story," Ballard said.
Nix urged the legislature to work quickly to pass reform.
The auditor said new property assessments are due in January 2026 for the first time since 2023, and, with constantly increasing property values, the sticker shock of property tax bills next year could be substantial.
