Panel: inflation, levy structure and state rules drove recent property tax spikes

A Columbus Metropolitan Club forum on rising property taxes in Ohio brought county and school officials together with policy analysts to explain why some homeowners faced large increases this year and to outline state and local policy options.

The panel traced recent spikes to a combination of rapidly rising property valuations after the COVID-era inflation surge, Ohio’s complex levy structure across thousands of local taxing districts, and statutory rules that change how voted levies interact with assessed value. "It's a perfect storm," Greg Lawson, research fellow with the Buckeye Institute, said, describing how inflation-driven value increases amplified long-standing structural issues.

Why it matters: property taxes fund local services such as schools, fire protection, senior services and public libraries, and sudden increases have spurred policy proposals at the statehouse. Panelists warned proposed short-term fixes could produce uneven results and said longer-term structural changes are needed.

Panelists explained basic mechanics for nonexperts. A "mill" is the tax rate applied to assessed value — $1 of tax for every $1,000 of assessed value — and most Ohio counties tax properties based on an auditor's assessed percentage of market value. Michael Stinziano, Franklin County auditor, said…