Ohio will restrict the use of some kinds of tax levies, a majority of the Ohio Senate voted Wednesday afternoon, overriding a veto by Gov. Mike DeWine in the biennial state budget.
The soon-to-be law gets rid of fixed-sum emergency and substitute emergency levies as well as replacement levies. Right now, subdivisions and schools can levy taxes on properties in more than one way, including at a fixed rate, at a fixed sum or for debt service on bonds.
Though they sound similar, replacement levies factor in properties’ rising valuations, unlike renewal levies, which go off properties’ values when the initial levy went through, according to the Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Even voting to extend a replacement levy at its original rate might result in slightly higher taxes.
Line-item 66’s proponents said the number of levies allowable under state law create unnecessary confusion that could mislead voters.
“What’s the emergency? ‘Educating our children,’” Sen. Sandra O'Brien (R-Ashtabula) said. “I said, that’s not an emergency, that’s your job. An emergency is an immediate danger that you have to take care of right away and it’s short lived. Well, that’s not an emergency levy. Our voters are, they’re confused, they’re terribly confused.”
Its opponents argued their elimination does locals more harm than good by taking some tools away.
“Can you name one constituent in any of your districts that will see a lower tax bill because of this override? The answer is no, you can’t,” Sen. Bill DeMora (D-Columbus) said.
Two GOP senators, Sen. Bill Blessing (R-Colerain Twp.) and Tom Patton (R-Strongsville), joined all nine Democratic senators in voting 21-11 against the override.
What about other veto overrides?
House Speaker Matt Huffman (R-Lima) said with five sessions on the schedule in October, Wednesday won’t be the last time they consider—or reconsider—property tax proposals, including the recent budget vetoes.
“I think, ultimately, we will get to 60 votes,” Huffman said. “I intend to call the vote on those.”
Within the budget, lawmakers also wanted county budget commissions to be able to lower levies, and for certain levies to be included in the calculation of the 20-mill floor, including emergency and substitute levies. DeWine worried it would have been too much for schools to adjust to at once, he said when he vetoed those items.
“Everybody has a turn to make a move,” DeWine said in July. “I made my move, my move was to veto things that I thought were not good for the state of Ohio, and the legislature now has to do what they do.”
He instead suggested a state task force, which convened throughout the summer and submitted its recommendations Tuesday.
In seven years, the legislature has now reversed four of DeWine’s vetoes, two of which were from the budget. Line-item 66 will become law in about 90 days.
