By Beth Blackmarr of Citizens for Property Tax Reform – Cuyahoga
Buckle up… People on Auto-pay are already having their new tax amounts pulled directly from their accounts even if they contest the new valuation even before the bill arrives in the mail.
Higher property taxes in Cuyahoga County? Treasurer explains why
by: Rex Smith Posted: Jan 15, 2025 / 03:34 PM EST Updated: Jan 15, 2025 / 03:35 PM EST
https://fox8.com/news/higher-property-taxes-in-cuyahoga-county-treasurer-explains-why
Excerpt from article:
“County treasurer Brad Cromes told FOX 8 that payments are higher in this first phase of tax collection this year because of new valuations for tax year 2024 and that this was an adjusted catchup payment for those in the Easy Pay monthly payment program.”
“Understandably, it’s not landing easily, especially for folks on fixed income, and we’re trying to do what we can to be helpful to those folks,” Cromes said.
Interesting point in the article: “If you are seeking more than a $50,000 reduction in value, the Board of Revision must notify the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) under the Ohio Revised Code. CMSD’s Board of Education can make a “counter complaint” and argue against the value reduction.” More on this later. Risk or not, I will be filing for a formal hearing on my property.
There’s a risk in asking Cuyahoga County for a ‘formal review’ of your property value. Here is what to know:
The Cuyahoga County Board of Revision is accepting formal complaints until March 31.
by Dakotah Kennedy, January 16, 2025
Because school funding makes up 70% of our property tax bills, it is important that our legislature address the inequitable way in which we fund schools, and coming to the aid of overburdened tax payers (US!).
“Fully funding the Fair School Funding Plan is more than just funding for K-12 education; it’s also about addressing Ohio’s property tax crisis and ensuring fairness for everyone in our communities. We can’t squander this opportunity.”
Opinion: The case for Ohio’s Fair School Funding Plan
Rep. Bride Rose Sweeney, January 16, 2025 05:50 AM
Excerpt from the article:
“In 1997, the Ohio Supreme Court found that the system was arbitrary and grossly unfair and ordered a “complete, systematic overhaul” of the way the state funds our schools. The court emphasized that the overreliance on property taxes to fund public schools violated the only legislative duty explicitly assigned to the General Assembly in Ohio’s state constitution to “secure a thorough and efficient system of common schools throughout the state.” (LFC added the emphasis)
Ohio lawmakers allowed the system to limp along this way for decades, such that by 2020 not a single public school district in the state received the funding it was supposed to under the state’s own calculations, all while forcing property owners to pick up the rest of the tab. It wasn’t until 2021 that we finally took the first step toward adopting a predictable, fair and rational formula: the Fair School Funding Plan.”
Editorial opinion by Brian Massie, President of Lake County Liberty Coalition
After speaking to several legislators, and speaking to many citizens throughout the State, it is clear to us that citizens must rise up and let their voices be heard. The Ohio State legislators spent the last two years discussing the problem, and produced a 836 page report that did absolutely nothing to solve the out-of-control property taxes for schools.
We cannot let another two years elapse with the same “do nothing” results. The legislators are listening to the teachers’ union and ignoring the average taxpayer. This must stop! We will not let them tax the average citizen out of their homes that they have worked all their lives to achieve.
The legislators have left us no choice but to make our voices be heard. We are working on a constitutional amendment that will eliminate the Ohio property taxes!
By the way, my school district had a lawyer representing them when I challenged my property valuation with the Lake County’s Board of Revision. The schools call it “chasing sales”.
Stay tuned!!
Categories: Community Activism, Real Estate Taxes, Uncategorized