Youngstown Times

State Rep Cutrona (R-Canfield) has co-sponsored and supported the Ohio Homeowners Relief Act, aiming to provide property tax relief for Ohioans, especially in Mahoning County, in light of inflation and tax increases. This legislative response, now approved by the Ohio House of Representatives, seeks to modify property tax assessment procedures by considering three years of property values and awaits further review in the Ohio Senate.

State Rep. Al Cutrona, a Republican from Canfield, co-sponsored and voted in favor of the Ohio Homeowners Relief Act, a bill aimed at providing property tax relief, which has been one of his top priorities for Ohioans, particularly those in Mahoning County, to alleviate the burden of high inflation and increasing taxes.

Cutrona expressed his commitment to property tax relief, stating, "It’s been one of my top priorities to provide property tax relief for Ohioans here in Mahoning County." He emphasized that property tax owners, including seniors and farmers, should not be burdened with both high inflation and rising taxes. He expressed optimism that the bill will save money for taxpayers as it moves to the Senate.

The Ohio Homeowners Relief Act aims to tackle the abrupt property tax hikes by bringing changes to the process conducted by the Tax Commissioner for property tax sales assessment ratio studies. The legislation mandates that the Commissioner collaborates with local elected officials and considers property values over the past three years when determining property taxes, moving away from the previous practice of using just one year's data.

However, there are differing opinions on the proposed changes in property valuation strategy. Mahoning County Auditor Ralph Meacham, along with the County Auditor's Association, opposes the three-year averaging approach. Meacham believes that such changes are ill-advised and difficult to impose. He raises concerns about addressing counties that are not in the middle of the re-evaluation process and the potential delay in calculating taxes for the first collection period next year.

In response to the proposed legislation, the County Auditor Association of Ohio (CAAO) has put forward an alternative plan to address rising property values. Their Tax Relief Proposal suggests limiting increases in school district general fund levies at the 20 mill floor by using a CPI-indexed amount. The CAAO argues that this approach is more efficient and less costly compared to the proposed three-year averaging. They also express concerns about the potential additional expenses and disruption to local government services that may arise from changing the valuation process near completion.

The Ohio Homeowners Relief Act, which is now advancing to the Senate for approval, aims to address substantial increases in property values, especially in counties undergoing reappraisals due to the pandemic-induced property value surge. The legislation mandates a shift from relying solely on 2022 property sales data to using a three-year, equally weighted average for property valuation by county auditors. This change is expected to lead to varying increases in taxable values, potentially impacting tax revenues for local governments and schools.