COLUMBUS, Ohio (WBNS) – The second round of property tax payments in Franklin County, Ohio are due in a little more than two weeks. The line at the county treasurer’s office is full of people shelling out the dollars.
“The way inflation is going up, it just narrows everything down until you just live. That’s about it,” said James Jenkins of Grove City.
Jenkins is a disabled veteran on a fixed income. Cutting the check for his property taxes hurts more and more.
“My actual tax with all of the deductions, and you can read them off, they already give me Homestead and everything else and it’s still $2,400 for six months,” said Jenkins.
The county treasurer and county auditor hear from people like Jenkins all the time.
The Franklin County Auditor, Michael Stinziano, would like to see action, but there’s no one-size-fits-all solution to the problem.
“You can look to other jurisdictions and other states where a similar policies exist, it’s going to be really important to understand the implications,” said Stinziano.
Stinziano recently went before the Joint Committee on Property Tax Review and Reform and talked about several of the proposed changes to how the state does taxes. He argues the state needs to present options when it comes to helping people stay in the communities they want to be in.
“We’re hearing from a lot of folks from the kitchen table looking for a menu of other options. Maybe it’s stabilaztion residential zones, a deferment program, or it could be that cap circuit breaker model,” said Stinziano.
