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Sen. Tom Patton warns eliminating property tax would put local services and schools at risk
Summary
On the Hurricane Watch podcast, Sen. Tom Patton told Brooklyn City Schools Superintendent Ted Kolaris that proposals to eliminate property tax could strip counties of roughly $24 billion that currently funds local services and urged caution about tax‑cut promises that lack funding plans.
Sen. Tom Patton visited the Hurricane Watch podcast hosted by Brooklyn City Schools superintendent Ted Kolaris and argued that proposals to eliminate property tax would jeopardize services tied to local funding.
"The state of Ohio through their 88 counties taken $24,000,000,000 in property tax, and every single nickel of the property tax stays within the county that it collected in," Patton said, warning that the revenue supports local schools, police, fire, libraries and Metroparks.
Patton said K–12 education currently represents about 13.7% of the state budget after the most recent budget increase and noted that other large shares include Medicaid (about 16–17%), higher education (11%) and corrections (9%). He told the podcast that the last budget added $1,000,000,000 for K–12.
"If we give 15,000 if we're paying $15,000 on average per high school kid…" Patton said, laying out the fiscal math officials must consider when discussing alternative funding mechanisms.
Kolaris, who introduced Patton and framed the conversation as an effort to help state legislators understand district needs, described Brooklyn’s local levy support and said district operating costs are typical of Ohio systems, with the majority of expenses going to employee salaries and benefits.
Patton warned that removing property tax without a clear replacement would force cuts to community amenities. "He told me as this passes in November, he closes the doors at the end of February, padlocks the Metroparks, parks, and probably starts selling off the animals, and the zoo is closed," Patton said, describing a local park official’s warning about how deeply property tax underpins services.
The conversation focused on fiscal trade‑offs rather than specific legislation; both men emphasized continued dialogue between district leaders and legislators. Kolaris invited Patton to Brooklyn’s new performing arts center opening next March, and Patton reaffirmed his willingness to work with local officials.
The podcast did not record any formal motions or legislative actions; Patton’s comments were presented as explanations of budget priorities and a caution about sweeping tax promises.
The district and senator said they would continue discussions as the November elections and the next budget cycle approach.
