Rep. Brennan Opposes Effort to Override Governor's Vetoes on Property Tax Provisions

COLUMBUS – State Rep. Sean Patrick Brennan (D-Parma) today announced his opposition to the Ohio General Assembly’s scheduled attempt to override Governor DeWine’s line-item vetoes on items 55, 65, and 66 of House Bill (HB) 96, which pertain to controversial property tax “relief.”

“These vetoed provisions are being framed as ‘reforms,’ but in reality, they risk creating new problems for Ohio’s homeowners, local governments, and schools,” said Rep. Brennan. “I cannot in good conscience support overriding the governor’s careful and considered use of his veto power.”

Governor DeWine struck down the provisions citing concerns that they could undermine the financial stability of local governments and school districts, create inequities in the property tax system, and offer relief in ways that disproportionately favor certain taxpayers over others.

Rep. Brennan echoed these concerns on the following line-item vetoes:

• Item 55 gives unbridled authority to county budget commissions to overrule the will of the people by throwing out voter-approved levies. The veto of this item is essential to protect voter-approved investments in safety services, like our police and fire, and other critical public services for veterans, senior citizens, and the overall vitality of local communities.
• Item 65 manipulates the calculation of the “20-mill floor” - the guaranteed minimum effective operating tax rate for school districts - by adding emergency, substitute tax, and other levies. These changes will gut our public schools’ resources by tens of millions to over a hundred million dollars annually.
• Item 66 ties the hands of local governments and schools by prohibiting various types of levies, thereby threatening responsible budgeting and the fiscal wellbeing of our communities.

“Ohioans want responsible, lasting property tax relief—not shortsighted measures that weaken our communities’ ability to fund public education, libraries, and other critical local services,” said Rep.  Brennan. “Instead of forcing these flawed provisions through, we should return to the table and craft fair, sustainable solutions that truly help all Ohioans.”

During this General Assembly, several bipartisan bills have been introduced to help Ohio’s lower their property taxes including:

• HB 103 (Troy, T. Hall) - Double Homestead Exemption for Seniors
• HB 143 (Brennan, Mathews) - Double Homestead Exemption for Long-Term Homeowners
• HB 156 (Isaacsohn, T. Hall) - Freeze Property Taxes for Seniors
• HB 365 (Brennan, D. Hall) - Enact the Property Tax Refund Act 

The House is scheduled to consider the veto overrides in an upcoming session on July 21st at 11:00am EST. The Ohio Constitution requires a 3/5 vote of each house to override a veto, which means 60 votes in the House.

Rep. Brennan urges his colleagues to oppose the effort and instead focus on bipartisan reforms that balance relief with fiscal responsibility.