Sound of Ideas Community Tour | Ideastream Explores Property Taxes

Property taxes generate more than $20 billion dollars in tax revenue in Ohio each year. They help pay for public schools, emergency services, libraries and parks. Lately, some home owners are feeling financial pressure from rising property taxes across the state. This is directly connected to property valuations that have gone up, including by an average of 32% in Cuyahoga County. This pressure is part of the reason some people are calling to reform or even abolish Ohio’s property tax. Others think people simply shouldn’t be taxed on property they’ve already paid for. The group leading the property tax ban effort, Ax Ohio Tax, failed to collect enough signatures in time to get their initiative on this November’s ballot but organizers are already looking ahead to 2027. If property taxes are reformed or completely eliminated, what would happen to the services that rely on that source of funding to operate? Would schools, police, and parks see funding cuts, or could there be an alternative source of revenue? These were some of the questions that were posed at the latest "Sound of Ideas Community Tour," which was held at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. Panelists representing a wide variety of perspectives, spoke with a live and lively audience about everything from why they believe property taxes should or shouldn't be reformed, to how school funding operates, to the value of parks to the general public. Guests: - Brian Zimmerman, CEO, Cleveland Metroparks - Frank Antenucci, Chief Deputy Administrator, Geauga County Auditor's Office - John Plecnik, Associate Professor of Law, Cleveland State University; Commissioner, Lake County - Pat Shipe, President, Akron Education Association