So-called relief will hurt schools, not lower Columbus property taxes by a cent 

This piece was originally published in the Columbus Dispatch on October 20, 2025.

Columbus resident Bobby Chafin painted a picture of the hard choices some Ohioans are facing due to recent increases in property taxes in his Sept. 27 letter to the editor.

In short, Chafin described how he and his wife are selling off their belongings but still struggling to make ends meet.

Nothing about Chafin’s situation is acceptable — including the legislation some officials are trying to sell as a fix.

In fact, one of the leading contenders, Substitute House Bill 186, would not lower property taxes on homes in the Columbus City School District by one cent.Need a news break? Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!

Worse still, H.B. 186 would strip critical funding from schools and public services that every Ohioan depends on — as would most of the other proposals currently moving through the legislature.The ‘tax relief will hurt schools, exclue 40% of Ohioans

A closer look at H.B. 186 illustrates how poorly targeted “tax relief” does more harm than good. (Many of the other proposed legislative solutions fail for the same reason.)

It would strip nearly $1.7 billion from public schools over the next three years while offering uneven, untargeted relief. Under this bill, roughly 40% of Ohioans will receive no tax cuts.

The figure is even higher in Franklin County, the largest county in Ohio, where 77% of residents would see no tax cut. 

The bill also fails to target relief based on ability to pay.

This is best illustrated when comparing the impact of the bill in the Indian Hill school district to the East Cleveland school district.

The Indian Hill school district is in the top five wealthiest school districts when looking at both median and average federally adjusted gross income, while the East Cleveland school district is in the bottom five for both.

So why should property owners in Indian Hill receive a tax cut while those in East Cleveland receive none?

Offering reductions to some of the most affluent families in Ohio while denying relief to some of the poorest who are struggling to stay in their homes is not relief, it’s reckless.

Of course, some property owners in Indian Hill may need a tax cut, while some in East Cleveland may not. However, this bill doesn’t differentiate between those who can afford their property taxes and those who can’t. It applies a blanket approach where targeted help is needed.

A better, more equitable solution for property tax reform is a circuit breaker.

This policy would provide targeted relief to those who need it by tying property taxes to one’s ability to pay, issuing credits to families or individuals whose property taxes exceed a percentage of their income. Critically, the state pays for them, protecting schools and public services. Twenty-nine states have a circuit breaker or a similar policy.  

We must reject the false choice between funding our schools and helping families afford to stay in their homes. With tools like the circuit breaker, Ohio can do both.