Two Licking County superintendents urge public opposition to Ohio HB 335
Dear Community Members:
We write to you in partnership to share our serious concerns about Ohio House Bill 335, which proposes sweeping property tax changes that could have devastating effects on our schools and communities. Among its provisions, the bill would eliminate inside millage, ban new emergency and substitute levies, and grant county budget commissions the authority to override levies approved by local voters. Critically, it offers no replacement for the revenues that would be lost by local governments and school districts statewide.
Inside millage is constitutionally guaranteed funding that provides essential resources for the daily operations of school districts and other public entities. HB 335 proposes to eliminate this foundational funding source.
For our school districts, the financial implications would be severe. Licking Heights Local Schools would lose $6.3 million annually, and Southwest Licking School District would lose $5.1 million annually. These cuts would drastically impact our general operating funds, leading to reductions in staff, academic and extracurricular programs, transportation services, and building maintenance. To maintain services, we would be forced to pursue additional levy requests, placing an even greater tax burden on our residents and ultimately defeating the stated goal of HB 335.
As we write this, the state’s biennial budget is currently being finalized by a House-Senate conference committee composed of the six state legislators listed below, and a compromise plan is being sent to Gov. Mike DeWine by June 30. While HB 335 was not part of the budget bill as we wrote this, there is growing concern that its provisions could be inserted without public input, despite their far-reaching consequences.
We urge you to contact our Ohio legislative representatives and the members of the conference committee to voice your opposition to HB 335.
Contact Information:
● Representative Thad Claggett: (614) 466-1482 / rep68@ohiohouse.gov
● Senator Tim Schaffer: (614) 466-8076 / sd20@ohiosenate.gov
Conference Committee Members:
● Rep. Brian Stewart: (614) 466-1464 / rep12@ohiohouse.gov
● Rep. Michael Dovilla: (614) 466-4895 / rep17@ohiohouse.gov
● Rep. Bride Rose Sweeney: (614) 466-3350 / rep16@ohiohouse.gov
● Sen. Jerry Cirino: (614) 644-7718 / cirino@ohiosenate.gov
● Sen. Brian Chavez: (614) 466-6508 / chavez@ohiosenate.gov
● Sen. Paula Hicks-Hudson: (614) 466-5204 / hicks-hudson@ohiosenate.gov
Our communities have long worked together to build thriving, supportive environments for families and businesses. Now more than ever, we must protect what we have built. Thank you for standing with us —and for helping to ensure a bright future for our students, our schools, and our communities.
Kevin S. Miller, Ed.D., superintendent of Licking Heights Local Schools, and Kasey Perkins, Ed.D., superintendent of Southwest Licking School District.
This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Two Licking County superintendents urge public to oppose HB 335 over financial implications
Reporting by Kevin S. Miller and Kasey Perkins / Newark Advocate
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