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Sponsors outline broad property tax relief plan tied to 20-mill floor; committee holds first hearing
Summary
Senate Bill 66 seeks to broaden the effective tax floor to limit sudden property tax increases by including unvoted millage and school district income taxes; sponsors cited Tax Foundation and LSC data on high statewide property tax burden. The committee held a first hearing and did not vote.
Senators O'Brien and Lang presented sponsor testimony on Senate Bill 66, a proposal to address steep property tax increases linked to rising property valuations and the limitation known as the 20-mill floor.
O'Brien told the Senate Ways and Means Committee that property valuations are "exploding" across Ohio and said valuation-driven tax increases have become unsustainable for many homeowners. He cited Legislative Service Commission and Department of Education figures for tax year 2023, saying that 60.8% of Ohio's 611 public school districts are at the 20-mill floor, and that roughly half of those districts rely on emergency or substitute levies; he added that nearly 46% also levy an income tax.
The sponsors cited a combined $10.5 billion of ending cash balances across traditional school districts and referenced a Tax Foundation study (using 2022 data) that ranked Ohio the 11th highest property-tax state, noting the ranking predated 2023–24 valuation jumps. They said expanded language in SB 66 now includes unvoted millage and school-district income taxes within an effective floor, and they expect fiscal savings to exceed earlier estimates (the sponsors said a prior measure would have provided roughly $300 million statewide savings in three years).
Committee members questioned constitutional and legal limits. Ranking Member DeMora expressed concern that including school district income taxes might conflict with the Ohio Constitution; a sponsor responded that it is not a settled court ruling and that legal views can differ from LSC opinions.
Senator Rudner thanked the sponsors for bringing forward the bill as a response to constituent concerns. The item was heard as a first committee hearing; no committee vote was taken on SB 66 during this session.
