MEDINA, Ohio — Medina County’s budget commission last week was on the verge of clawing back millions of dollars from local school districts — an aggressive move made possible by Ohio’s new property tax laws, including one that could jeopardize school budgets across the state.
Then, minutes before the commission was set to vote Wednesday, an attorney for Highland Local Schools delivered a four‑page letter threatening legal action and questioning whether the board’s actions were lawful. The commission’s newest member, County Commissioner Colleen Swedyk, abruptly brought the process and the heated meeting to a halt.
“We just need to take a pause and make sure we’re doing everything right,” Swedyk later said. “I’m not trying to grandstand. I just want to make sure we’re doing the right thing for our community.”…