Volunteers failed to gather 413,487 valid signatures in time to put an amendment to abolish property taxes in Ohio before voters this fall. But the "Ax the Tax" effort is far from dead — the group is hoping to get the effort on the ballot in next year's election.
The volunteers with the Committee to Abolish Ohio Property Taxes held a number of signing events around the state, including one on a sunny Saturday morning in the parking lot of what was a TGI Friday’s restaurant off I-70 in Reynoldsburg.
A couple parked their car and approached the American-flag themed tent, which features a banner that reads “sign the petition, abolish Ohio’s property taxes in 2026”. Sue Mazzarini manages the booth on this morning. She asks if they're registered voters and where they're from, and then grabs the petition for their county and puts it in front of them.
A total of 97 people signed petitions at this event, including Trent Martin of Grove City in Franklin County.
“My property taxes have went up over $600 a month," Martin said. "I’m retired, so there’s no control over how long it'll be before I won’t be able to afford to keep my house.”
“I'm frustrated," said Kelley Nichols, who came from her home nearby in Fairfield County to sign. "They just reassessed my property last year, and then in Pickerington they tried to raise another 1% sales tax to again fund the schools, and that got voted down. I think people are just—they're tired.”
(Note: it was a 1.25% income tax proposal for the Pickerington Local School District that was rejected by voters in May.)
Mazzarini is the regional captain for the Committee to Abolish Ohio Property Taxes or Ax Ohio Tax in central Ohio, covering eight counties. She’s been volunteering since last year after seeing something about the amendment on Facebook. She’s set up her tent here on occasionally Saturdays for a few months, usually getting around 80 to 90 people to sign.
“It’s really funny," Mazzarini said. "When some of them get out of their cars, they're powerwalking over to us and you go, 'Oh, you look like you're on a mission.' And they go, 'yes, we want to sign. Where do we sign? Where do we sign?'”
In a memo to Gov. Mike DeWine in February, the Office of Management and Budget said about $24 billion in property tax revenue is raised each year by levies approved by local voters for schools, first responders, libraries, children services, agencies on mental health and aging, zoos and other local services. That money goes to local services and not to the state. But there’s suspicion of whether all that money is needed.
Derrick Whiting is among those with questions. The Columbus father of 10 said he’s worried about soaring rents, and wants to know where all the money goes.
“I really feel like they cheating. Someone just be honest. Come on now. If marijuana is legal, where's that money going? That's a lot of money," Whiting said. "They already cut all the school programs anyways. Where's all of this money going?”
Breakdowns of tax levy distribution are included in bills county treasurers mail to homeowners and that information is on the websites of most counties. That money doesn’t include the $70 million collected in the first year of taxes on legalized marijuana, because state law directs it to communities with dispensaries and other specific funds. The Ohio Lottery is also often singled out, since all profits go to education. It brought in $1.4 billion in profits last year, around 12% of the state’s total K-12 education spending.
Mazzarini and others tell stories of senior citizens on fixed incomes not being able to keep up with soaring property taxes.
"I have neighbors that were an older couple," said Candace Mitchell of Columbus after she signed. "The wife had purchased the house from her father. It had been in their family entire life. She passed away. The husband wasn't able to keep up with the property taxes and they took it. So he was displaced. It's just a really bad situation all around, and it just hurt my heart to see that happen."
Many signers say there’s a better way than property taxes to raise the money for police, EMS, teachers and other local services and service providers. But some aren’t sure what that is. Others suggest hiking the state sales tax, which officials have said would have to more than triple to around 20%, significantly higher than any other state. That would hit lower-income Ohioans especially hard and hurt businesses in communities near state lines. And officials have said the sales tax might have to be broadened to include items and services that aren't taxed right now, such as food and healthcare.
State lawmakers have said they’ve passed reforms to lower tax bills and have more coming. But several signers said they haven't seen any relief in their tax bills. And Mazzarini said legislators have only themselves to blame if this gets to the ballot.
“The people are upset. They're not listening to them," Mazzarini said. "And until they start listening and working for we the people, we have to push back. We have no recourse. Just like the data centers—same scenario.”
Though property taxes are locally approved, collected and distributed, priorities in state spending often come up, such as the $600 million for the Cleveland Browns’ domed stadium in Brook Park. The state budget actually directed that money to come from unclaimed funds, but a court battle is holding that up and lawmakers may have to find that money another way.
Over 65 groups of local officials, businesses organizations and unions representing first responders and teachers have joined forces to oppose the amendment, saying essential services and more than a 100,000 jobs could be lost. But Ax Ohio Tax volunteers still plan to get signatures at businesses, outside big events, and even at people's homes to get to next year’s ballot.
