The Cincinnati Property Tax Task Force has issued its findings and recommendations following five months of public input.
In December, Hamilton County sent out new appraisal and levy information for homeowners. According to a June report by Housing Opportunities Made Equal in collaboration with eruka , 50% of property tax bills either decreased or remained relatively stable. But, 45% of bills saw significant increases and 5% of bills more than doubled.
The task force found five major themes after public comment and dialogue:
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- Property tax increases are threatening owners’ abilities to stay in their home, maintain their home, and build generational wealth, particularly older Cincinnatians on fixed income and in communities of color.
- There is a lack of transparency in the way that property taxes are assessed.
- Property tax increases were quick and unexpected – in some cases, there was only 20 days’ notice.
- Homestead Exemptions have not been as helpful as their value declined, having not been indexed for inflation until recently.
- The Board of Revisions’ appeal process can be unclear and intimidating