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Board member warns state property‑tax proposals could shrink school funding, urges local contact with legislators
Summary
Board member Leeds detailed several pending Ohio bills that he said would reduce property‑tax funding for schools and urged residents to contact state lawmakers; the discussion was an informational update and did not create board policy.
Board member Leeds used the board liaison portion of the June 23 meeting to summarize multiple Ohio legislative proposals affecting property taxes and school funding and urged residents to contact their state representatives.
Leeds discussed several bills he said were being considered in Columbus and cited Legislative Services Commission (LSC) estimates during his update. "When they got to looking at it, it amounts to about $2,000,000,000 to be taken out of the funds for schools on inside millage, and they figured that would be 20,000 teachers," Leeds said. He referenced House Bill 129, House Bill 186 and House Bill 309 by number and repeated LSC cost estimates he said were tied to those measures.
Leeds and other board members described the potential effects they see from broad property‑tax changes: increases in burdens on residents, reduced revenue for libraries and local services, and uncertainty for districts that rely on property taxes to share costs with commercial and industrial taxpayers. "If you get rid of property taxes, you still have to fund fire, police, city, schools, and then it becomes 100% on the residents," Leeds said.
The board treated the comments as an information item during liaison updates; no board action or formal resolution was taken at the meeting. Several board members agreed with Leeds' assessment and encouraged constituents to contact state lawmakers, but they did not propose a local legislative strategy or formal position.
Why it matters: Proposed changes to state property‑tax law could materially alter revenue available to Ohio school districts; local boards often monitor and comment on pending legislation because it affects district budgets and services.
What’s next: The board did not vote on any resolution at this meeting. Members asked residents to reach out to state representatives and said they will continue to track developments at the Ohio Legislature and in the LSC analyses.
