Indian Hill treasurer warns property-tax reforms could squeeze district finances in five-year forecast

The Indian Hill Exempted Village Board of Education heard a detailed five-year financial forecast from Treasurer Mick Davis that flagged revenue losses tied to recent Ohio property-tax changes and the 20-mill floor mechanism. Davis told the board the forecast compares an older projection against a new model accounting for enacted bills and caps that together produce a substantial “delta” in projected revenue.

"We would see a 3% increase in property tax values," Davis said while explaining how the 20-mill floor and related bills change the mechanics of millage and reappraisals. He outlined three primary mechanisms—an inflation index cap, inside-millage limits and shifting reappraisal timing—that together reduce the district’s entitlement to inflationary growth in tax revenue and produce a modeled drop in days-of-cash-on-hand later this decade.

Why it matters: Davis showed the board a scenario in which the district’s cash-on-hand falls from about 49 days to roughly 31 days by mid-2030, increasing cash-flow risk and constraining the district's ability to respond to unexpected capital or operating needs. Board members asked how that shortfall would affect rating agencies and levy timing; Davis said lower reserves make high credit ratings harder to sustain and will likely force earlier community levy conversations.

Board member (speaker 2) framed the bills as part of a broader funding pressure: "I think there's an attack on public education in terms of our funding," they said, urging the district to prepare for more frequent requests to voters. Davis recommended monitoring state action and increasing public outreach about what local property taxes fund.

The board did not take formal action on the forecast itself; Davis advised the district will continue to refine assumptions and that the board will consider timing and scope of potential levy efforts and expenditure reviews in upcoming committee work.