Warren County commissioners ask staff to study state "piggyback" options that would lower homeowner property taxes

Warren County commissioners on Wednesday asked staff to prepare a detailed analysis of two newly available county-level tax choices created in the state budget that could reduce property taxes for homeowners.

During public comment, a resident identified as Matt outlined the state-level context and local concerns, saying, “The budget contained nothing that really had any impact on property taxes. And what did tangentially touch property taxes, the governor vetoed.” Commissioners and staff followed with a discussion of two options permitted by the enacted law: (1) a homestead piggyback that would allow a county to double the homestead credit for qualifying seniors and permanently disabled residents with Ohio adjusted gross incomes under $50,000, and (2) an owner-occupied piggyback that would apply a smaller reduction to a broader set of owner-occupied homes.

Why it matters: The programs would lower individual homeowners’ bills but would shift revenue away from other local taxing…