Senate committee hears plan to cap unvoted property-tax increases in 20-mill school districts under House Bill 186

Representative Hoops and Representative Thomas delivered sponsor testimony on substitute House Bill 186 before the Ohio Senate Local Government Committee, describing the measure as a targeted response to large property-tax bill increases tied to recent revaluations.

Supporters said the bill would create a credit on tax bills for properties in school districts that have hit the 20-mill floor. Representative Thomas said the proposal “says the government should not receive more than inflation from property owners without a vote of the people.” He told the committee the cap would be applied starting in the second half of 2026 so counties that recently revalued would show the credit sooner rather than waiting until their next triennial revaluation.

Sponsors framed the bill as a response to what Representative Hoops called “the perfect storm” of factors that pushed valuations — and therefore unvoted taxes — sharply…