A Republican-backed bill would raise the voter approval threshold for property tax levies for schools and local services from a simple majority to 60%. It’s among around 40 bills related to property tax laws that have been proposed this year, but it might not get far.
Rep. David Thomas (R-Jefferson) is a joint sponsor of House Bill 355. He said in an interview for "The State of Ohio" that it makes sense to increase the property tax levy approval threshold to 60%.
"I think there needs to be some type of understanding that when you're increasing taxes on the whole community, the whole community should really have buy-in," Thomas said.
Thomas added that he's concerned that property tax levies can pass in low-turnout elections, and suggested that overall turnout should be greater for a levy to be approved.
"I think that there should be some type of recognition that more community support for higher taxes is a better way to actually increase that process," Thomas said. "There are communities, though, that will never be able to get property taxes passed because they won't see that kind of turnout potentially, and that's very possible. There are also communities that never pass levies right now either, that there's not the community support. And I think that speaks to the community doesn't want it."
But the idea has opponents, and not just among Democrats.
"I think we tried something like that in August of 2023 to change the way we do constitutional amendments," Troy said in an interview. "I think the people have spoken."
The proposal to require 60% voter approval to amend the Ohio Constitution failed by a 2-1 margin in 2023. Republicans who proposed the idea said they were concerned about a reproductive rights amendment that was set for the November 2023 ballot, which passed with 57% support.
House Speaker Matt Huffman (R-Lima) admitted he has some questions about this bill, though he was a strong supporter of that change to the constitution.
"In many states it's two thirds or 60%. Our constitution is only 50%," Huffman told reporters in June. "But I think we have some real opposition to changing the percentage for passage of local, not just levies, but other local issues."
And Huffman added: "I think it's a it's a significant step to say we're not going to have majority rule."
HB 355 hasn't had a hearing since it was introduced in June.
If HB 355 were law now, 35 of the 74 school levies and 7 of the 20 library levies that all passed this month wouldn’t have because they didn’t reach that 60% support.
