Ohio property tax working group nearing deadline as lawmakers return to Statehouse

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio property tax reform group set up by Gov. Mike DeWine is racing toward a Sept. 30 deadline.

At its most recent hearing , members blew through a long list of ideas including targeted tax breaks modeled on the abatements popular for new builds around Ohio and removing obscure — but important — tax credits some contend are ripe for abuse.

Later this week, they’re hoping to coalesce around a proposal limiting property tax increases to inflation. They’re using public school property tax bill Ohio House Bill 186 as a starting point.

The members are also aiming to come up with recommendations related to the vetoed property tax provisions that prompted DeWine to set up the group in the first place.

Speaker’s view

Meanwhile, the state lawmakers responsible for ac