Taxes

The tax department’s biennial forecasts of the size of the controversial tax exemption shared with the public amount to jarring lowballs of the actual figure, even when accounting for the imprecise nature of budget forecasting and the novel technology at hand.

Columbus City Council President Shannon Hardin said he doesn't expect a unanimous vote of support from council. Mayor Andrew Ginther did back the plan after council gave his initial idea the cold shoulder.

As volunteers work to gather hundreds of thousands of signatures to ask voters to abolish property taxes in Ohio, concerns about soaring sales taxes are coming to light.

Columbus received its first payment from the state of Ohio from marijuana sales within city limits. The city will put the money into a special fund and use it on human service needs and other initiatives as the city faces a tight budget year.

There’s a possibility Ohio voters could be asked to abolish property taxes next year, which would leave safety forces that rely on that revenue without funding.

Central Ohio voters will decide on several ballot issues this fall, including Columbus City Council, Columbus school board and several major levies.

Cities and school districts can levy taxes on properties to fund different programs in more than one way.

Vice President JD Vance used a speech in his home state on Monday to promote the GOP’s sweeping tax-and-border bill as a small group of protesters outside a northeast Ohio steel plant brandished signs critical of the administration's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein investigation.

Ohio House Finance committee members will continue to vet the amendments in hearings this week, with a full floor vote tentatively scheduled next Wednesday.

Republicans are considering adding a $600 million package of state-backed bonds for a $3.4 billion domed stadium and development for the Cleveland Browns to the Ohio budget.