Auditor: The problem is not how your property is valued. There's a more expensive issue

Michael Stinziano is Franklin County auditor.

Throughout the 2023 mass reappraisal process, the Franklin County Auditor’s Office continues to hear ongoing concerns from the residents about taxes and the way the property reappraisal process impacts all our neighborhoods.

Before tentative values were determined and released, we advocated for solutions and sought to address many of the concerns now being shared.

Last year, I met with the tax commissioner and explained the perfect storm driving these historic property value increases, but he insisted state law was not flexible—and values must reflect the market.

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As a county, we are required to administer an outdated process that the General Assembly has long ignored, until it arrived at the front door of its constituents.

At a public forum in 2019 on affordable housing, hosted by Congresswoman Joyce Beatty’s office, many older residents expressed concerns about being property taxed out of their neighborhood.

From that forum on, your county auditor’s office began working with members of the Ohio General Assembly on solutions to address this problem.

For example, during the past three general assemblies, the Auditor’s office has worked with state Sen. Hearcel Craig and Rep. Latyna Humphrey on legislation that would cap property tax increases property owners would be required to pay, to prevent large property tax increases.

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The state legislature has not passed the bill but we continue to understand this proposal, as well as several other solutions, could be successfully pursued and implemented.

Further, your auditor’s office has supported House Bill 60 which would modernize the homestead exemption, expanding the amount of home value exempted and relaxing the income qualification so it can be utilized by more of our older homeowners.

Older residents have always been top of mind, and as such, the auditor’s office remains dedicated to finding ways to help older homeowners remain in their neighborhoods.

Solutions identified included recommending increased funding for the Property Tax Assistance Program, a program that is administered by the auditor’s office to help older homeowners with onetime emergency property tax assistance.

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Proudly, with the support of Commissioners O’Grady, Boyce, and Crawley, the Property Tax Assistance Program has been vastly expanded and its funding increased exponentially to help more of our older residents pay their property taxes.

We need new state legislation to address the problem of unaffordable taxes for our longtime homeowners, many who are on fixed incomes and can’t afford large property tax increases.

Ohio does not have a valuation problem; we have a taxation problem.

In central Ohio, we need to build homes of all types and price points, so our increasing population can find and keep stable, safe, and affordable housing. We need to stop the half-measures that only patch the problem and instead demand foundational changes to build a better future.

Michael Stinziano is Franklin County auditor.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Mad about your property valuation? Problem is deeper| Franklin County auditor