Committee hears first testimony on bill to replace percentage property tax rollbacks with flat credits

The House Ways and Means Committee on Wednesday held a first hearing on House Bill 61, a proposal from Representatives Daniels and Thomas to convert Ohio’s homestead and owner‑occupancy property‑tax relief from percentage rollbacks and value exemptions to fixed, flat‑dollar credits and to require a local cost share for some credits.

Committee members and the bill’s sponsors framed the proposal as an attempt to simplify a long‑standing, complex property‑tax system that ties credits to property value and millage rates. Representatives Daniels and Thomas said changing credits to fixed dollar amounts would give homeowners more predictability than the current system, which they said can shrink credit amounts for recipients when home values rise and tax rates fall. The sponsors said the bill would set a flat credit equal to $750 for a standard owner‑occupancy credit (indexed to inflation) and would set the traditional homestead credit at $750 and an enhanced homestead credit at $1,500 as…