A constitutional effort to abolish property taxes in Ohio won’t be on this year’s ballot. Backers of that proposal say they won't turn in petitions ahead of next week's deadline, but instead plan to put it before voters in 2026.
“We want to make this an issue for the 2026 election because we are extremely concerned that the legislators are not listening to the people," said Brian Massie of the Committee to Abolish Ohio's Property Taxes.
Massie said his group wants to hear what candidates for governor have to say about the issue.
But Massie said he doesn't think lawmakers in the Statehouse are listening to voters. He noted the budget Republican legislators passed this week cuts income taxes, but Massie said that's not the tax most voters are concerned about.
“Why don’t they put it on the ballot? Ask the people – do you eliminate the income tax or do you want to eliminate the property tax?" Massie said.
Lawmakers say they are responding
Legislators have repeatedly said they know Ohioans are concerned about high property taxes. There are several bills under consideration that they said will address the issue. One affects inside millage - the 1% of property tax value that can be levied without an additional vote. House Bill 335 sponsor Rep. David Thomas (R-Jefferson) said he sympathizes with voters who are seeing property taxes rise significantly.
"The voters are tapped out. They're done. So we either do this type of bold, strong action now or the patient dies and we start from scratch," Thomas said in an interview for "The State of Ohio" earlier this month.
Thomas said his bill is a response to people who say lawmakers haven't done anything but he said he thinks the property tax abolition measure could eventually make it on the ballot.
But Massie said Thomas' bill isn't enough.
"We're not satisfied with just the inside millage," Massie said. "We are going all the way because we want the citizens of the state of Ohio to get their voices heard once and for all."
Massie wouldn't say how many signatures his group has. It will take 442,958 valid signatures to make this year's ballot. The deadline to submit constitutional amendments for the November 2025 ballot is July 2. Massie said the group is on track to put the issue before voters next year and that they'll continue to circulate petitions during the next twelve months.
