By Brian Massie, A Watchman on the Wall
The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states very clearly:
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
“The Redress of Grievances Clause in the First Amendment is a powerful tool that gives individuals the right to seek remedy for injustices. It serves as a shield for the oppressed and a voice for the marginalized. This clause embodies the essence of democracy by providing a pathway for citizens to hold their government accountable.”…Gold Lawyers
I have been reviewing and learning about property taxes in the State of Ohio since 2015, when I saw that the property taxes on my home had increased 40% in the 10 years that I owned my home in Concord Township, Ohio. It is then that I knew if we continued with the ever-increasing property taxes, we would price seniors and those living on fixed incomes out of their homes that they have worked all their lives to achieve. I have uttered that phrase many times at the Lake County Commissioner meetings, four times in the State capitol in front of our legislators, and to many groups throughout the State of Ohio.
The problem was that no one believed me. As I was pulling back the curtain on the property tax scam, I discovered the following:
- A segment of the population does not correlate voting for a property tax levy, and seeing an increase in their property taxes.
- A large percentage of the population never sees their property tax bill, and therefore, have no idea how much they are paying to each taxing authority.
- In Lake County, 40% of the homeowners have their tax bill sent to their mortgage company, and only ask the question: “Why did my monthly payment go up?” When they are told your property taxes went up, they merely shrug their shoulders, grind their teeth, and get back to work.
- School districts account for 60% – 70% of a homeowners property tax bill. When people are asked: “Why do you vote for school levies?” Invariably, we get two answers: (a) “We have to do it for the children.”, or (b) “We have to do it so that our property values remain high.” There is no correlation between money spent per pupil and proficiency scores.
- Citizens do not understand how to determine if they can really afford to vote for a new or renewal tax levy. We have tried to explain the Housing Affordability Threshold, but it does not seem to be universally understood. If you add your mortgage, utilities and your property taxes, and the sum is 30% of your annual income, then the home is deemed unaffordable for your. You do not have to sell, but you will have less money for your “needs and wants”. If the levy you vote for pushes you to the 30% level, you only have yourself to blame if you voted for the levy.
- The property tax system is overly complex, and very few citizens really understand inside millage, outside millage, HB 920, 20 mill floor, market value, true value, appraised value, assessed value, general levies, renewals, permanent improvement levies, bond levies, continuous levies, etc. There are even State legislators that do not understand how property taxes are calculated.
- There are no checks and balances in our taxation system. This has permitted the uncontrolled growth of the taxing authorities, be they schools, fire departments, parks, crime labs, ADAMHS Board, municipalities, etc. The State legislators depend on the school boards and the voters to control the spending of the taxing authorities. This is not happening because many school board members simply acquiesce to whatever the superintendent, or chief financial officer tells them what they need in new levies, and many citizens seem to be voting strictly on emotion.
- Voters incorrectly think that somebody in the government bureaucracy is looking out for their best interests, and nothing could be further from the truth. There have been statements made to me by elected officials that ” if seniors cannot afford their home, they should sell their home and move into an apartment. That will also alleviate the housing shortage.” We tell everyone that if they vote for any more property tax levies they are funding their own demise. Any tax causing a citizen to become homeless is immoral.
Home ownership is the foundation of our freedom and liberty. It permits families to get out of poverty with the transfer of wealth from one generation to the next.
If you think that you own your home after you have paid off your mortgage, we are sorry to tell you that you are merely renters from the government. In Lake County, if you miss three property tax payments, you will be turned over to a collection agency. If you do not pay them, they can and will foreclose on your property.
After many meetings, debates, stops and starts, revisions, and more revisions, we are finally ready for phase 1 of the redress of our grievances against our state, local governments, and the many taxing authorities across the State.
In phase 1 we will need 1,000 signatures of registered voters, and send the petitions to the Attorney General for approval. After the approval, we will then move forward and get approximately 500,000 signatures to get our petition on the ballot in November, 2025.
We are completing a website [AxOHTax.com] that will answer your questions and concerns about this proposed changes in our system of taxation. The generation of the revenue is not the problem. With the multitude of available tax revenue streams to the taxing authorities, replacing the property taxes can be done. The main problem is in the ability to curtail the spending of the many taxing authorities. There has to be checks and balances installed in our system of taxation that eliminates the accumulation of surplus cash, and uncontrolled growth of the taxing authorities.
The public sector is outgrowing the private sector’s ability to pay for the services.
Categories: Community Activism, OHIO DOGE, Property Tax Petition, Real Estate Taxes, State of Ohio, Uncategorized