While Ohioans enjoy an extended sales tax holiday this August, state lawmakers skipped summer break to tackle what many call the state’s most urgent housing issue: skyrocketing property taxes. But even as talks continue in Columbus, millions of homeowners across the state are watching their bills rise as their patience wears thin.
The warning signs are getting harder to ignore. In Mahoning County, the tax delinquency rate has hit 18%, with more than $70 million in unpaid property taxes. Some neighborhoods in Youngstown are even seeing rates as high as 1 in 3 homeowners behind. In Cuyahoga County, values jumped 32% on average after reassessments, fueling a $60 million increase in past-due balances.
And it might get worse: Homeowners could face an additional 25% increase in property taxes in the coming years unless lawmakers step in, according to Matt Nolan, president of the County Auditors’ Association of Ohio…