COLUMBUS, Ohio (WLIO) — An initiative aimed at eliminating property taxes in Ohio will not appear on the November General Election ballot after organizers failed to gather enough signatures to qualify the measure.
The Committee to Abolish Ohio Property Taxes announced that it did not collect the number of signatures needed to place the proposal before voters this fall. Despite the setback, organizers say they will continue gathering signatures in hopes of reaching their goal of more than 600,000 signatures and potentially qualifying for a future ballot in the next couple of years.
Property taxes in Ohio help fund a variety of local services, including school districts, park districts, libraries, and police and fire departments. The state collects approximately $20 billion annually through property taxes.
The proposal has faced opposition from both Republican and Democratic leaders, who have raised concerns about the impact eliminating the tax would have on funding for local governments and public services that rely on the revenue.
Property taxes are expected to remain a major issue in Ohio politics and are likely to be a prominent topic during this year's governor's race.
