On February 25, 2026, the Bainbridge Library and League of Women Voters of Geauga hosted a panel discussion addressing one of the most contentious issues in Ohio today: property taxes and the looming Abolish Property Tax Amendment.
The panel included representatives from the Kenston Board of Education (KBOE), Bainbridge Trustee, and the Financial Officers from both Auburn and Russell Townships. The room was charged with a mix of technical breakdown and existential dread regarding the future of local services.
The Mechanics of Your Tax Bill
Geauga County Auditor, Chuck Walder, opened with a "Property Tax 101" to clarify how residents are currently billed. He highlighted the distinction between Appraised Value (what your home might sell for based on the land, dwellings, and any other improvements) and Assessed Value (35% of the appraised value, as set by Ohio statute).
Some definitions to keep everyone on the same page included:
One Mill: This is 1/1000th of your assessed value
Inside Millage: These are "unvoted" taxes included in the Ohio Constitution. Local government can claim up to 10 mills without a vote. In Geauga, this is split roughly 45% to schools, 30% to the locality, and 25% to the county. This tax will increase as your property value increases. HB335 will cap the annual increase to inflation moving forward.
Outside Millage: These are the taxes residents actually vote on. Importantly, these do not change overall cost with property value increases (with a caveat of changes due to tax equalization). This provides a level of stability for the taxpayer but not necessarily for the entity receiving the funds.
The 20-Mill Floor: Per HB 920 (1976), school districts are guaranteed a floor of an equivalent of 20 mills of local funding. Thanks to recent changes in state law (HB186), annual increases in this floor are now capped at inflation as well as adding in levies that didn’t previously "count” towards the floor.
In Geauga County in 2024, total property taxes amounted to nearly $250 million. There is an odd provision in state law is that the state would pay 13% of all pre-2013 levies. Nearly 25% of the revenue to Geauga was due to this law (basically the state pays some of our property tax!).
Read our previous article about the history of Ohio taxes and the impact on our local communities.
The Abolish Property Tax Amendment
Chuck Walder then had prosecutor Jim Flaiz speak to (but clearly not for) the text of the proposed amendment.
Section 14. Abolishment of Taxes on Real Property.
(A) No real property shall be taxed and no law shall impose any taxes on real property.
(B) No other provision of the Constitution shall impose any taxes on real property.
(C) As used in this Section, "real property'" includes land, all growing crops, all buildings, all structures, and all improvements permanently attached to land.
This Amendment shall take effect on the first day of the year after it passes.
A key point of Prosecutor Flaisz was that this would effectively eliminate property tax for all sectors - residential, commercial, multi-family, and non-owner occupied.
While the idea of a $0 property tax bill sounds like a dream to many homeowners, the panel warned of a "catastrophic" reality for local infrastructure.
"Its simplicity is actually the problem with it…The repercussions are catastrophic."
What’s at Stake?
The breakdown of how much our local services rely on property tax is staggering:
Bainbridge: 90% of police, 91% of fire, and 89% of road funding comes from property taxes.
Russell: 90% of police and roughly 70% of fire and roads are property tax-funded.
Kenston Schools: 76% of their $44M annual revenue is property tax-dependent.
Auburn: A massive 92% of all revenue comes from voted property taxes.
The Panel Discussion: "A Hammer to a Problem"
Trustee Kristina O’Brien cautioned against the amendment’s blunt force, stating, "You don't take a hammer to the entire process without alternative funding."
No Easy Alternatives
When asked what happens if property taxes vanish, the answers from the townships were bleak. Auburn officials noted they aren't legally allowed to levy an income tax under current state law. Russell officials pondered whether they would have to sell off buildings or form "partnerships with adjacent entities" just to survive.
In Bainbridge, the conversation turned toward incorporation. If property taxes disappear, the only way to fund a police department and all services might be to become a city and implement a local income tax and sales tax.
The School Crisis
For Kenston Schools, the amendment could mean cutting over half the staff. While some point to the state lottery as a solution, Manning was quick to dispel the myth: the state uses lottery money as a "shell game," providing it to schools while simultaneously reducing other state aid.
Audience Concerns & The Road Ahead
The Q&A session revealed deep-seated frustration. One resident pointed out that the Ohio school funding system has been ruled unconstitutional for decades, asking if this amendment would finally force the state to fix it. Manning’s response was blunt: "Well, they haven't in 40 years."
Other highlights from the crowd’s questions:
The Burden Shift: In 1991, homeowners and farmers paid 40% of the tax burden of schools; today it is 76%. Manning argued the state has shifted the burden onto locals by providing less state-level funding.
The "Lean" Approach: Townships are already trying to cut costs. Bainbridge mentioned "running lean" by having employees pull double duty (like a mechanic who is also a firefighter).
The Commercial Problem: Some suggested "carving out" commercial properties from the tax break, but the current amendment proposal is all-or-nothing.
Consolidation: there was discussion about consolidation of schools, services, but the panelists questioned how much savings would actually manifest from such changes.
Final Word from the Auditor
Chuck Walder concluded with a call for legislative reform rather than total abolition. He suggested that the county should be out of the appraisal business and that no taxes should move unless specifically voted on. He also announced the formation of the PTART (Property Tax Abolishment Response Team) to prepare for the potential fallout, noting that 25% of his own staff would vanish if the tax was abolished, as there would be no more audits to perform.
As the meeting adjourned—punctuated by a brief outburst from a handful of frustrated attendees—one thing was clear: Geauga County is at a crossroads and we should not be counting on Columbus to fix things.
Upcoming Panels
Did you miss this event? You have two more chances.
March 10, 6:30 PM: Geauga Office Building (featuring panelists from Newbury, Munson, and Chardon schools).
April 7: Middlefield Library
Register via the Geauga Library.
Personal Thoughts
It was great to see a packed house turn out for this event. I was told afterwards there were 250 people watching on the livestream hosted by GeaugaTV. The number of audience questions was shocking and, unfortunately, the panel was only able to address a few of them.
I was honestly a bit disappointed that the panel did not include anyone from the “pro abolishment” side. Skip Claypool was in attendance and would have been more than happy to participate; he did a few times regardless. The pro-side passed out this document to folks as they entered the library.
There was a clear concern for the seniors and those on fixed incomes that have had to deal with dramatic increases in property taxes post-COVID. Most of the panelists and elected officials expressed a need for a dramatic increase in the Homestead Exemption and owner-occupied discount. Auditor Walder also brainstormed some ideas about fixing a property's appraised value to the most recent sale price and getting the county out of the appraisal process.
These ideas are great, but there appears to be little appetite in Columbus to talk about this problem in a meaningful way.