It was the summer of 2015, and leaders from across the state packed a forum hosted by the Columbus Metropolitan Club. The task, tackle one of the most urgent issues facing Ohio homeowners: rising property taxes.
For Michael Cole, the conversation wasn’t just about tax bills — it was about fairness, fiscal responsibility, and protecting public education as well as homeowners.
Much of today’s frustration stems from structural policies put in place decades ago — especially House Bill 920, he said.
“House Bill 920 was designed to control property taxes so they didn’t automatically rise with inflation,” said Cole. “But what it also means is that when communities vote for school levies, districts don’t actually receive the full voted millage.”
“In 2023, our community approved a 7.7 mill levy. But because of House Bill 920, that was reduced to 5.8 mills in effective millage,” he continued.
In other words: even when voters support schools, state law limits how much growth districts receive. That forces schools back onto the ballot more frequently — what some call the “levy cycle.”
Click here to view the forum.
Taxed and Confused: Making Sense of Rising Property Taxes in Ohio” at the Columbus Metropolitan Club, featured :
- Michael Cole, President, Columbus City Schools Board of Education
- Greg Lawson, Research Fellow, The Buckeye Institute
- Michael Stinziano, Auditor, Franklin County Auditor’s Office
- Moderated by Anna Staver, Cleveland.com