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County commissioners say senior property‑tax freeze must be placed on ballot amid legal uncertainty
Summary
Commissioners said state law gives Franklin County the option to put a countywide property‑tax freeze on the ballot; they warned the measure could be costly to administer and may face legal challenges that could nullify parts of the law.
Franklin County commissioners said state legislation that would allow a countywide property‑tax freeze (sometimes described in the meeting as expanding senior property‑tax freeze eligibility) must be placed before voters if the county chooses to participate, and that the measure may face constitutional or severability challenges in court.
Why it matters: A county decision to adopt a property‑tax freeze would change who can keep assessed values from rising and could affect county revenues. Commissioners said the state law gives counties the option to place the question on the ballot before April in the upcoming election cycle.
Commissioners said the county was offered the option to place a ballot question that would expand a freeze beyond existing senior provisions; they said voters would choose whether to adopt the freeze for qualifying property owners. Commissioners noted the process would create administrative and budgetary costs: if the state does not fund the election, the county would bear the estimated cost of roughly $150,000 to run a standalone ballot question.
Legal uncertainty was a recurring concern. Commissioners said observers have questioned the law’s structure and that there were likely legal challenges to its constitutionality. The meeting included discussion of a severability clause in the legislative language; commissioners said the presence of a severability clause would govern whether parts of the law could be struck down while preserving other parts, but they stressed that a court challenge would not be resolved until after a public vote and potential litigation.
Administration and enrollment: Commissioners said existing senior property‑tax freeze programs still require annual sign‑up; the county assessor (named during the meeting) told commissioners that improvements such as a garage would be assessed separately and that property owners must reapply each year to maintain eligibility.
Ending: Commissioners said the county will likely place the measure on the ballot for voters to decide but cautioned residents that implementation, costs and legal outcomes are uncertain until after voter action and any subsequent legal challenges.
