Ohio school tax (Toledo, Youngstown, Boardman: how much, buy, school districts)

[gswpa]

I have a general question about property taxes in Ohio. Is it true that communities have to vote on whether or not to raise taxes for schools? My family is considering a move to Ohio from PA where high property taxes are a huge problem.

[South Range Family]

Yes, it's true. We vote on school taxes, police, fire, and township taxes too. They have to say exactly what the money will be spent on, how much it will be, and how long the tax will last. If your fire department wants a new truck, they give all of the above information. The money cannot be used for anything else but a new truck.

When we lived in Pa, we watched the paper every year to see if the school board was going to arbitrarily raise our taxes, or not. The "or not" never came. They raised taxes every year.

The school district we live in now is very good at finances. We have lived here for 10 years. I can only remember seeing one school levy on the ballot during that time. It was to build a new one school campus. My taxes will now go from 4k to 5k per year. It's not separate like Pa. though. That is total school and property taxes all together.

State income taxes are a hair higher, but everything is deductible just like on your Federal taxes. I get most of my money back every year. I also don't pay a local 1% wage tax like in Pa. A few cities and incorporated areas have it, but most townships don't.

[gswpa]

I wish PA would adopt that as policy. What about teacher strikes? That is another huge problem in PA. They can shut down the schools for up to 5 weeks.

[rrtechno]

Teacher strikes are legally possible in Ohio, but they are fairly uncommon. I have been a teacher for 34 years now, and although there have been a couple of times where the necessity of striking was discussed, I don't ever remember actually taking a vote to begin the steps to authorize a strike in the system I worked in. There have been several times that we worked without an official contract while negotiations continued. There have been several schools in the area that have had teacher strikes in that time and it is not a pretty sight for the community, so most of the teachers I know will do all they can to avoid that.

[Ohiogirl81]

I remember when I first moved to Ohio, I was incredulous that voters had to approve tax increases. Now that I'm back in Pennsylvania, I feel like leading a taxpayer revolt or something, because my taxes go up in excess of the rate of inflation every flippin' year.

SouthRangeFamily, FYI the ORC forbids townships from levying an income tax on their residents. Only incorporated villages and cities -- and some school districts -- can collect income taxes.

[gswpa]

Ohiogirl81

I have that same feeling. My taxes have increased every year since we moved here. PA residents are so overtaxed that it's embarrassing.

[Mikieo415]

The fact of the matter is that if the school levy or township levy doesn't pass, they just keep putting it on the ballot over and over again until voter turnout is low and it miraculously passes. If it doesn't pass, instead of learning to do without raises and bonuses, the schools will cancel busing, the sheriff will lay off most of his staff, the county jail will release harden criminals. One time the fire levy in Youngstown failed and they closed almost all fire stations. They sure did buy a lot of nice new shiny fire trucks after the voters passed that one. Sometimes they will hold bizzare special elections that don't get talked about a lot with one issue on the ballot... a levy. Hardly anyone knows about the issue being up and it passes. I believe Boardman had a February election recently for school improvements that were unfounded. They wanted a nice newer stadium because the other suburbs have nicer stadiums. The gist is... Ohio is a financially strapped state. Industry is leaving this area faster than people can run out of state. The tax base has been diminished. The people who are left are living on less and less money, but government wants more and more. If you are considering a move, consider the west. And I don't mean Toledo.

[LancasterNative]

Yes, property taxes for schools are subject to voter approval here.

As a matter of strict personal conviction, I vote FOR my pocketbook every time, and AGAINST coercive government larceny.

Taxes here are already higher than a kite, and the bureaucrats in charge of schools are notorious for wasting money on ridiculous boondoggles and then whining to us taxpayers that they need more...

Unfortunately, most of my neighbors don't see it this way. Gullible soccer moms and other minivan-lemmings are easily brainwashed by clever "for the chiiiiiildren" school levy campaigns, so generally any time the schools demand more money, voters open their wallets and say "here, it's all yours!"

My NO! vote on school levies is about the only direct recourse I have to express displeasure about Big Government and Big Taxes. (well that, and posting about it here on C-D)

Someday when I can afford to, I'll move...

[Crew Chief]

While I'm definitely on board with the "taxes are too high" sentiments, I DO believe in voting for my district's school levies. I just feel that the district leadership spends money wisely. I also feel that way about my township governmet, as well. Guess I'm just lucky. Back on track, Montgomery County just put a WHOPPER of a levy on the ballot Tuesday. I voted against it but it STILL passed. As much as I believe in providing human services to those who REALLY need them, I see that arena as a "growth industry" for those that administer the services as well as those who won't take care of themselves...

[LancasterNative]

Originally Posted by Crew Chief

As much as I believe in providing human services to those who REALLY need them, I see that arena as a "growth industry" for those that administer the services as well as those who won't take care of themselves...

Bingo!!! That nails it...

The problem I see with government involvement in the charity business is that there's money to be made off the suffering of others, and little incentive to actually fix things. Classic "gravy train" situation ("let's retain/expand our funding!")

Government never really solves the problems of human need...it just manages them in perpetuity.