DeMora Votes Against Veto Override that Undermines Local Governments and Schools

Today, state Senator Bill DeMora (D-Columbus) condemned the Ohio Senate Republicans’ vote to override Governor DeWine’s veto of a provision to restrict the ability of communities to put levies for schools and local services before voters under the guise of tax relief.

“This veto override will do nothing for the people of Ohio except further hurt their schools and local governments,” said DeMora. “The Majority said that this was in the name of property tax relief, but the Republican sponsor in the House explicitly said that this is not property tax relief; all it does is get rid of the only tool that schools have to deal with emergencies.”

The provision will strip local communities, schools, and libraries of their ability to clearly present certain replacement and emergency levies to their voters, and will block voters from deciding whether to raise funds for services like schools, fire departments, and libraries. Overriding this veto provides no actual property tax relief and instead shifts the responsibility to provide relief from the state to our local communities.

Senate Democrats have proposed a number of actual property tax relief policies, including a property tax circuit breaker, an expansion of the homestead exemption, and freezing property taxes for qualifying homeowners 65 years old and older.