Senate Local Government Committee advances five property‑tax bills after amendment battles

COLUMBUS — The Senate Local Government Committee spent a lengthy session on substitute House bills addressing property-tax policy, advancing amended versions of multiple measures to the Committee on Rules and Reference while tabling many proposed changes.

The committee opened with substitute House Bill 186, where members adopted a technical amendment requiring county auditors to submit property-tax abstracts to both the county board of revision and the Department of Taxation. The committee also approved an amendment that phases changes to property‑tax rollbacks — raising the owner‑occupied rollback over four years to a final 15.38% in 2029, phasing out the 10% nonbusiness residential rollback to 0% by 2029, and preserving the full 10% rollback for agricultural property. Ranking Member Smith offered an amendment to delay the bill’s effective date to tax year 2026 and another aimed at addressing so-called “phantom revenue” in school funding; both were tabled. The committee then favorably reported the amended HB 186 to Rules and Reference by roll call, with the clerk recording a majority in favor and LSC authorized to…