Some elderly and disabled homeowners in Ohio will spend less on their property taxes next year.
Gov. Mike DeWine signed legislation on June 24 that allocates $350 million to recipients of the homestead exemption, which provides tax relief to certain low-income homeowners. That means nearly $500 in additional savings for approximately 710,000 Ohioans.
The reduction will appear on tax bills in 2027.
Seniors and people with disabilities qualify for the homestead exemption if they earn less than $41,000. It also applies to disabled veterans and their spouses and surviving spouses of officers killed in the line of duty.
Lawmakers funded the one-time property tax credit with part of a $1.5 billion budget surplus. The move came months after they enacted legislation to slash property taxes and contain future increases.
Still, homeowners remain frustrated and contend the state has done little to help seniors and other homeowners on fixed incomes. Supporters of an effort to abolish property taxes fell short for the November ballot but hope to put the issue before voters in 2027.
“For those people who will receive it, this is going to be incredibly helpful,” Rep. Bride Rose Sweeney, D-Westlake, said. “But next year, because this money is one time, they will still be in the same position. This does not evade us of our culpability with the property tax crisis and that more needs to be done.”
State government reporter Haley BeMiller can be reached at hbemiller@usatodayco.com or @haleybemiller on X.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Some Ohio homeowners could save $500 on property taxes in 2027
Reporting by Haley BeMiller, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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By Haley BeMiller, Columbus Dispatch | USA TODAY Network
