By Joan Elflein
Columbus homeowner advocate, licensed real estate broker, small business owner, and founder of Ohio Broker Direct

As someone who lives and works in Columbus, I see firsthand how Ohio’s property tax system is hurting families, draining small businesses, and failing our schools. I help people buy and sell homes every day — and I watch them struggle to keep those homes because of rising property taxes. I run a business in this city — and I see how those same taxes stifle growth and opportunity. These aren’t just numbers on a bill — they’re real consequences for real people. When families are forced to choose between paying their taxes or putting food on the table, we know the system is broken. Reform isn’t just necessary — it’s urgent.

This isn’t just policy. It’s personal.

💸 Columbus City Schools: A $1.8 Billion Budget and Still Failing

Columbus City Schools — the largest district in Ohio — operates on a budget of approximately $1.8 billion. Yet despite this massive funding, the district is failing to educate our children.

They’re now planning to cut $50 million annually starting in 2027 due to deficit spending. Of the nearly 9,000 employees, only about 4,000 are teachers. That means more than half of the workforce is non-instructional — while student proficiency scores remain far below state averages.

The district also holds extensive vacant real estate, including closed schools and unused buildings. Instead of selling or repurposing these properties, Columbus taxpayers are forced to maintain them. This is not just inefficient — it’s outrageous.

⚖️ Ohio Supreme Court Ruled Property Tax-Based School Funding Unconstitutional

In the landmark case DeRolph v. State of Ohio (1997), the Ohio Supreme Court ruled that funding public schools through property taxes violates the state constitution. The court found that this method failed to provide a “thorough and efficient system of common schools,” as required by law.

Despite multiple rulings, Ohio’s legislature has failed to overhaul the system. Today, property taxes remain the backbone of school funding — perpetuating inequality and inefficiency across the state.

🏫 School Levies, Voter Fatigue, and Broken Promises

Ohio’s school funding model depends on property tax levies — and it’s exhausting. Districts like North Ridgeville had to go back to voters four times just to pass a bond levy for a new high school. The building was designed for 900 students but now holds 1,500.

As levies expire, districts scramble to replace them, often with emergency levies that lack transparency. Taxpayers are left confused, frustrated, and financially drained.

✊ Ohio Ballot Initiative: Citizens Fighting to Abolish Property Taxes

Thankfully, change is coming. A grassroots group called the Committee to Abolish Ohio Property Taxes is leading a statewide effort to place a constitutional amendment on the 2026 Ohio ballot. Led by Brian Massie, the group has registered over 1,000 volunteer circulators and is collecting the 500,000 signatures needed to qualify.

Their message is clear:

“Any tax causing a citizen to become homeless is immoral. We refuse to continue renting our homes from the government.”

📌 Learn more and get involved at AxOHTax.com
📣 Follow updates on Facebook: Committee to Abolish Ohio Property Taxes

📉 The Human Cost: Foreclosures and Senior Homelessness

According to Ohio Broker Direct, the consequences of Ohio’s property tax burden are devastating:

• 🏚️ Foreclosure rates rose from 0.3% in 2021 to 0.5% in 2022, displacing thousands of families
• 👵 Senior homelessness increased by 208% between 2012 and 2018, driven by rising housing costs
• 🏘️ Ohio currently lacks 270,000 affordable housing units, worsening the crisis

These aren’t just numbers — they’re lives. Families are being forced out of their homes. Seniors on fixed incomes are losing everything. And it’s all happening under a system the courts already ruled unconstitutional.

💥 The Hidden Mortgage: What Ohioans Really Pay

If you own a $250,000 home in Franklin County, your annual property tax bill could exceed $6,000 — that’s $500/month, every month, forever.
That’s not a typo. That’s more than a car payment, and in many cases, more than rent.

But renters aren’t off the hook either.

Landlords pass these costs on — and renters pay the price in the form of skyrocketing monthly rent.

Whether you own or rent, Ohio’s property tax system is draining your wallet.

This isn’t just frustrating. It’s destabilizing.
🏠 Homeowners are being priced out of homes they’ve lived in for decades.
👵 Retirees on fixed incomes are being crushed.
👩‍🎓 Young buyers are being told to dream smaller.
💼 Renters are paying more for less — and watching affordability vanish

📈 The Rent Ripple: How Property Taxes Drive Housing Costs Higher

But the burden doesn’t stop at homeowners. Ohio’s broken property tax system is also driving up rent — pricing out families who don’t even own the homes they live in.

When property taxes spike, landlords are forced to pass those costs on to tenants. That means every reassessment, every levy, and every millage increase becomes another reason rent goes up.

In Butler County, property values rose an average of 37% during the last reappraisal, and early estimates suggest another 13–25% increase is coming in 2026. For rental property owners, this isn’t just a paperwork headache — it’s a financial squeeze. As one Middletown landlord put it:
“It’s very tight, so they have to pass that on. The renter pays almost immediately.”

This dynamic is playing out across the state:

• 🏘️ Clark County: Property values are set to rise 32% in 2026, with tax hikes to follow
• 📊 Cuyahoga County: Reassessments triggered a 32% average increase in home values, pushing up rents and delinquencies
• 💥 Mahoning County: 1 in 3 homeowners are behind on taxes in some neighborhoods — and landlords are raising rents to stay afloat

Ohio’s rental market is now caught in a feedback loop: rising property taxes inflate housing costs, which drive up rent, which pushes more families toward instability. And because renters don’t vote on levies or receive tax credits, they bear the burden without a voice.

This isn’t just bad economics — it’s bad ethics. No one should lose their home because their landlord is being taxed into oblivion.

🏙️ Urban Squeeze: Rent Prices Surging in Columbus, Cincinnati, and Dayton

Ohio’s largest cities are becoming increasingly unaffordable — not because of demand alone, but because property taxes are inflating the cost of housing across the board.

And to be clear: these numbers reflect average rent for one-bedroom units.

📍 Columbus:
As of August 2025, the average rent in Columbus is $1,354/month, with some neighborhoods like Indianola Forest topping $4,100/month. Even modest areas like Clinton Estates and Walnut Hills now average over $1,200/month, pricing out working families and young professionals.

📍 Cincinnati:
Rent in Cincinnati has climbed to an average of $1,450/month, with hotspots like Mount Adams and Corryville exceeding $2,000/month. Over 60% of households in the city are renter-occupied — meaning the majority of residents are directly impacted by tax-driven rent hikes.

📍 Dayton:
Dayton, once considered one of Ohio’s most affordable cities, now averages $1,072/month in rent. In neighborhoods like Downtown Dayton and Webster Station, prices are pushing $1,500–$1,600/month, a staggering increase for a city where the median income remains below the national average.

These numbers aren’t just statistics — they’re symptoms of a broken system. Property taxes are baked into every lease, every renewal, and every rent hike. And because renters don’t get tax credits or vote on levies, they’re stuck paying more for less.

✅ Why Ohio Must Abolish Property Taxes Makes Sense

Property taxes are fundamentally unfair. Even if you’ve paid off your mortgage, you still owe the government — forever. That’s not ownership. That’s bondage.

Benefits of abolishing property taxes in Ohio:

• True homeownership without perpetual taxation
• Pressure on local governments to cut wasteful spending
• Incentives to adopt efficient, transparent funding models
• Relief for seniors, families, and fixed-income homeowners

🔄 Smarter, Constitutional Alternatives to Property Tax

Abolishing property taxes doesn’t mean defunding schools or services. It means funding them fairly, efficiently, and legally. The Ohio Supreme Court has already ruled that property tax–based school funding violates the state constitution. So let’s stop trying to fix what’s broken — and start building something better.

Here are four non–property tax alternatives that respect the Constitution and protect Ohio families:

💼 1. Income-Based Local Funding

Local income taxes already support many Ohio cities. Expanding this model could:
• Align taxes with ability to pay
• Reduce pressure on fixed-income homeowners
• Encourage local economic growth

This works best when paired with spending reform and fiscal discipline.

🌍 2. Land Value Tax

Taxing land — not buildings — encourages development and revitalization. It’s:
• Economically efficient
• Fair to property owners
• Proven in other cities worldwide

It avoids punishing people for improving their homes or businesses.

🧮 3. Performance-Based School Funding

Tie state education dollars to results, not zip codes:
• Reward districts for student outcomes
• Incentivize cost-effective programs
• Reduce reliance on local levies

This ensures every dollar supports real learning.

🛒 4. Modernized Sales Tax

Instead of raising rates, Ohio can broaden the base:
• Close outdated exemptions
• Include digital goods and services
• Capture revenue from tourism and out-of-state spending

Handled responsibly, this can support schools without burdening families.

These solutions aren’t speculative — they’re practical, constitutional, and already working in other states and cities. What’s missing in Ohio isn’t money. It’s political will.

📢 What You Can Do Right Now

If you’re ready to fight back, here’s how to get involved:

• ✍️ Sign the petition to get the amendment on the 2026 ballot
• 📞 Contact your state legislators and demand reform
• 🗣️ Volunteer as a circulator or help spread the word
• 🏛️ Attend school board meetings and demand accountability
• 📢 Share your story — on social media, in your community, and with your neighbors

🔚 Final Thoughts: It’s Time to Take Our Homes Back

Ohio lawmakers are debating reforms, but reform isn’t enough. It’s time for abolition. Let’s stop funding failure and start building a system that respects taxpayers, educates children effectively, and restores true property ownership. The current system punishes families, burdens small businesses, and undermines our schools — all while eroding the very idea of owning your home. Abolishing property taxes isn’t just a policy shift; it’s a moral imperative. And it starts with raising our voices, demanding change, and supporting leaders who are ready to rethink how we fund our communities.

We’re not just fighting for lower taxes — we’re fighting for freedom, fairness, and the future of Ohio.

🔗 For a deeper dive into the movement and the numbers behind it, read Ohio’s Push to Eliminate Property Taxes Gains Momentum on Ohio Broker Direct.