Ohio homeowners burdened by soaring property tax bills are still waiting for relief as political tensions deepen. Governor Mike DeWine has vetoed reforms proposed by state lawmakers, instead creating a working group that will release its recommendations by the end of the month. Experts warn that these suggestions may mirror the same reforms lawmakers pushed earlier, raising frustration among residents. Meanwhile, a growing grassroots movement is pushing to abolish property taxes altogether.
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Rising Tax Burden
Property tax bills in Ohio have soared alongside skyrocketing home values in recent years. According to Redfin, the median home price in the state reached $275,900 in July, compared to $191,500 just five years ago. Ohio now ranks eighth in the nation for property tax burden, despite sitting near the bottom in median household income. For many homeowners, especially those on fixed incomes, these increases are becoming impossible to manage.
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Impact on Homeowners
Residential property owners have absorbed the brunt of the increases, with delinquency rates climbing sharply. In Mahoning County, tax delinquency has reached 18 percent, totaling nearly $72 million in unpaid bills. In parts of Youngstown, as many as one in three homeowners are behind on payments. “Ohio families need urgent property tax relief because rising tax bills are squeezing working Ohioans who are struggling to afford their homes,” said Donovan O’Neil, state director for Americans for Prosperity-Ohio.
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DeWine Blocks Reforms
In June, Governor DeWine vetoed nearly all of the reforms included in Ohio’s new operating budget. These proposals included limits on local levies and restrictions on school savings, measures supporters argued would have brought some relief. Lawmakers managed to override only one veto, blocking replacement and emergency levies, which critics say offered no immediate help. Instead, DeWine has appointed an 11-member reform group tasked with crafting solutions.
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Lawmakers Push Back
Republican lawmakers, frustrated with DeWine’s move, argue that years of hearings and dozens of recommendations were wasted. “When the legislature provided action, Gov. DeWine vetoed those solutions,” O’Neil said. Lisa Garvin of the Today in Ohio podcast noted that DeWine has hinted he may support the same reforms if his group recommends them. Podcast host Chris Quinn called that possibility a “slap in the face to the legislature.”
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Growing Grassroots Movement
As political battles play out, grassroots activists are advancing their own campaign to abolish property taxes entirely. Citizens for Property Tax Reform, a nonpartisan group, is circulating petitions to put the issue on the November 2026 ballot. “It’s irrelevant to us because now, after talking to so many people throughout the state, they’re saying they do not have a voice in this government,” said Brian Massie, one of the organizers. The group will need at least 440,000 signatures by July to succeed.
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Governor’s Defense
Governor DeWine defended his vetoes and the creation of his reform group. “As property values have increased in Ohio over the last decade, the resulting property tax increases have strained many family budgets and challenged the financial security of many on fixed incomes,” DeWine said in a statement. He stressed that reforms must be affordable for the state budget while protecting schools and local services. His working group’s recommendations are expected by the end of September.