Warren County Auditor Matt Nolan told the Kings Local Board of Education on Oct. 14 that while state committees and multiple bills are addressing Ohio’s property-tax system, meaningful statewide changes affecting Kings Local are unlikely before the next legislative session. Nolan also discussed how House Bill proposals such as a version of the ‘‘floor’’ fix would mainly affect districts that are at the statutory tax floor and not Kings or Mason in the near term.

Nolan said the governor’s task force and several bills, including proposals related to HB 920 and a proposal commonly called HB 186, repeat recommendations county auditors have made for years but face political hurdles. ‘‘There’s winners and losers in every one of those,’’ Nolan said, adding that ‘‘anytime we do these things, there’s winners and losers’’ and that residential taxpayers frequently have the least organized lobbying presence.

The auditor urged local conversation about revenue diversification and regional cooperation. ‘‘Anybody counting on the state of Ohio to come in and help, I would not hold my breath,’’ Nolan said. He described options such as county-based approaches and said Warren County’s high per-capita sales tax could be a regional asset if stakeholders chose to collaborate.

Nolan also addressed the mechanics of millage and tax rollback, noting a commitment from district leadership that, if the levy passes, the district intends to roll back a full mill. He said the term ‘‘mill’’ can be hard for voters to grasp and suggested translating it to dollars per $100,000 of home value: ‘‘$35 per $100,000 of value,’’ he said, and observed that average home values in Kings are ‘‘right around $330,000 to $350,000,’’ which would translate into roughly $100 in savings per homeowner for a single mill.

Public participation following the presentation focused on Issue 10, the ballot measure before voters that pairs an earned-income tax (EIT) with a proposed property-tax reduction. Several residents and district employees spoke in favor, emphasizing student opportunity and the risk of program cuts if the levy fails. Stephanie Marshall, a JF Burns teacher, read written testimony from her son, Nick Marshall, a 2022 Kings graduate and current Ohio State biomedical science student, who urged a yes vote because he credited Kings programming with preparing him for competitive college study.

Heather Schult, a parent and longtime resident, urged voters to consider long-term effects on academics and teacher staffing. ‘‘If Kings cuts 10% of its operating expenses, it would spend less per student than about 90% of school districts in Ohio,’’ Schult said, citing niche-ranking components such as student–teacher ratio and AP participation.

Other commenters pressed the board for more transparency and independent review. Colleen Sheeter said she had been told by a board member that the Ohio Department of Taxation reported rising incomes in the district but that the district’s published data showed a downward trend; she asked the board whether written documentation exists from the Department of Taxation supporting an upward trend. Scott Sheeter asked the board to publish the district’s financial projections and to perform an independent performance audit before asking for new revenue; he criticized social-media interactions regarding residents’ opinions and called for civil discourse.

Teachers and residents spoke about student opportunity and intergenerational impact. Carrie Snyder, a high-school teacher of 30 years, said many programs and extracurriculars are ‘‘investments that pay lifelong dividends’’ and warned that programs are hard to restore after cuts. Sam Meisner, a resident and supporter of Issue 10, said the measure protects long-term opportunities for students and framed it as collective investment.

Board members asked Nolan clarifying questions about HB 186 and how the proposals would affect Kings. Nolan said HB 186 ‘‘will not impact Kings or Mason at all in the short term and really probably not at all in the long term’’ and explained that the bills aim to restore a relationship between assessed value growth and tax-rate reductions in districts currently constrained by statutory floors.

Why this matters: Kings Local is asking voters to consider an EIT-option tied to a property-tax reduction while the state’s school-funding debates continue. The auditor’s remarks and the public comments illustrate the core choices: seek local revenue diversification, maintain current programs, or risk cuts that speakers said would reduce course offerings, extracurriculars and student supports.

The board did not take a formal levy action at the meeting. The presentation, public comments and the board’s questions are part of the public record as residents decide on Issue 10 at the ballot.

Less critical context: Nolan — who serves as president of the County Auditor’s Association and said he served on the governor’s task force on property taxes — described the political difficulty of changing statewide school-funding models and encouraged local leaders to consider consolidation or county-level approaches. Several speakers also referenced the district’s five-year forecasts and asked for more detailed financial audits.

The board moved on to scheduled business after public participation.