The Joint Committee on Property Tax Review and Reform was established as part of the state’s main operating budget, which was passed last year. The Committee is tasked with reviewing Ohio's property tax system and making recommendations for possible reforms and updates to the system to the General Assembly. The Committee consists of 10 members: 5 from the Ohio House and 5 from the Ohio Senate. The panel is being jointly led by Representative Bill Roemer (R- Richfield) and Senator Louis W. Blessing, III (R-Colerain Twp.).
Since the beginning of the year, the Joint Committee has held three hearings in Columbus, where members have received briefings from several organizations, including the County Auditors Association of Ohio, the Ohio Board of Tax Appeals, the Ohio Business Roundtable, the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, the Ohio Farm Bureau, and the National Federation of Independent Business. All of the testimony to date has focused on educating lawmakers about the process of assessing property taxes, determining the value of property, and the need and importance of legislative action to combat the rise in property values and subsequent tax liabilities of property owners.
Lawmakers are expected to continue to conduct hearings throughout the spring, and must submit a report on their findings by the end of the year.
While the Committee is holding hearings, as many as 10 bills have already been introduced to address the property tax issue. To learn more about those bills, visit the GOPC Bill Tracker on our website.