Ohio primary ballots littered with tax increase proposals

By David Beasley
The Center Square

In addition to statewide offices and congressional and state legislative seats, Ohio voters on Tuesday will decide many local issues, including many tax proposals.

In Hancock County, residents of townships will vote on new taxes or to renew existing taxes or issuing bonds for projects ranging from libraries to improving fire protection.

In Union Township, voters will decide on a $1 million bond issue for “for the purpose of constructing, furnishing and equipping a new Township garage and clearing, improving and equipping its site.”

There are also township votes on issues such as liquor sales and zoning.

Residents in the Waynesfield-Goshen Local School District will vote on whether to renew an income tax that expires at the end of this year.

The Pickerington Local School District, which includes parts of both Fairfield and Franklin counties and is one of the state’s largest, will have a referendum on a 1.25 percent income tax to fund day-to-day-school operations. Enrollment in the school district has increased 17% since 2011, according to the group advocating the income tax, Vote for Pick Kids.

“Without new revenue, the district will cut staff – decreasing the quality of our kids' education,” the organization says on its website.

Under the proposal, Social Security income would be exempt from the tax.

The school system currently has an enrollment of 12,208, spokeswoman Jacqueline Bryant told The Center Square

As enrollment has increased in recent years, so have other costs, according to Vote for Pick Kids.

“The cost of staffing, transportation, utilities and instructional materials continues to climb faster than our current revenue,” the organization said.

State funds for schools have not kept up with rising costs, the group said.

Although property taxes have traditionally paid for the local share of school costs, “the political climate in Ohio has very much soured on the sustainability of property taxes,” Vote for Pick Kids said.

Property tax reforms have reduced projected revenue for the Pickerington school district by $5.1 million, the pro-income tax group said.

“More reforms seem imminent.,” the group said.

The school system has been running a budget deficit for the last four years and will exhaust its reserve by 2028, according to Vote for Pick Kids.

Voters in Mount Vernon will also vote on an income tax for schools that would be used to fund school building projects. Social Security income would also be exempt from this 1 percent tax on wages and self-employment income.

Adjusted for inflation, Mount Vernon’s per pupil spending increased 9.1% from 2017 to 2025, according to the Fordham Institute.

While Mount Vernon’s school spending has increased by $10 million over the last eight years, its enrollment has dropped by 400 students, according to the Fordham Institute.