Things are moving quickly when it comes to property tax reform in Ohio.
The state legislature has made changes to property tax laws and is looking to make more. A group is seeking petition signatures on a ballot referendum for a constitutional amendment that would ask voters to eliminate property taxes.
While Brookfield is not significantly affected by any of the legislative changes thus far, some local officials are starting to sound desperate that future changes could bring disastrous consequences.
“This might seem like this is being melodramatic, but we’ll be the last township trustees in Brookfield,” Trustee Dan Suttles said Oct. 6, assuming the elimination of property taxes.
Under the current tax scheme, property taxes make up the majority of funding for Brookfield’s township government and police and fire departments, and roughly one-third of Brookfield Local School District’s revenue.
Suttles and school district Treasurer Jordan Weber said they understand the sentiment to eliminate property taxes.
“But, that money has to be made up from somewhere else,” Weber said on Oct. 15.
Suttles said there needs to be a definite plan to replace property taxes that is fair and does not place an undue burden elsewhere. Townships currently don’t have the authority to levy an income tax, a sales tax or any other kind of tax that could bring in millions of dollars to fund the services they have now, Suttles said.
A school district can ask voters to levy an income tax, but school board member Ronda Bonekovic said flatly such a request would be “voted down” by Brookfield voters.
There are plenty of proposals to replace property taxes – income tax, sales tax, consolidation – but none of them would do the job in Brookfield, at least, not right away, Suttles said.
Frank Zurawski of Masury supports the proposed amendment to eliminate property taxes and is circulating petitions supporting the effort at EZ Stop in Brookfield. Even though he doesn’t own real estate, he thinks there are people being “real estated out of their homes” because property values are going up, and that increases their tax bills.
“I think it will pass,” he said, should the referendum make the ballot next November.
Zurawski said he has heard the arguments about how abolishing real estate taxes will affect local governments, but he calls them scare tactics.
“I think a lot of people don’t realize that a lot of states don’t have real estate taxes, and they get along good,” Zurawski said.
It’s up to the legislature to come up with a new funding plan for local governments, he said.
“These guys in Columbus work for us,” Zurawski said. “Let them come up with some ideas because they know it’s coming through. They’re holding out until the grass-roots people push this.”
As for the schools, Zurawski pointed to the Ohio constitution, which states “The General Assembly shall make provisions” to “secure a thorough and efficient system of common schools throughout the state.” Elsewhere, it states public schools shall be “supported by public funds.”
“I think they’ll find a way,” he said of supporting schools.
Zurawski said he doesn’t want the proposed amendment to be seen as a “good guy/bad guy thing.”
“We’re talking about elderly people, and there are a lot of us,” Zurawski said. “This is an elderly community.”
Suttles said he does not have the same faith in the legislature that Zurawski does. He noted a constitutional amendment legalized marijuana, but said the legislature has imposed limitations to its availability that he said go against the will of the voters.
“Our state legislators don’t listen to us,” Suttles said. “They don’t listen to the public.”
Suttles said he wants to make residents aware that there could be fundamental changes to the services they count on.
“There’s something that may happen down the road and I think it’s incumbent upon your elected officials to make the public aware of what the path is,” he said. “The only thing we can do is to let you know.”
Trustee Mark Ferrara encouraged residents to contact their state reps and comment on the varied proposed changes.
“We’re gonna do everything we can, but it’s gotta come from the citizens,” Ferrara said.
