From the Statehouse 2007 No. 05
by Jennifer Garrison
Apr. 20, 2007
From the Statehouse 2007 No. 05
Over the past month, the Finance Committee and its subcommittees heard testimony from over 500 witnesses. These witnesses either supported or objected to the Governor’s proposed budget and often petitioned the committee for additional monies.
One priority in the Governor’s budget is to expand the homestead exemption. This proposal will provide a $25,000 exemption for the home’s market value for all senior citizen homeowners and all disabled homeowners. In 1980, 375,000 homeowners or 70% of the state’s senior citizen homeowners were eligible for the homestead exemption. By 2004, only 221,000 Ohio homeowners received the homestead exemption. This expansion of the homestead exemption would reduce property taxes for 775,000 Ohioans. The state will replace lost revenue to local governments and school districts for the expansion of the homestead exemption.
In the 93rd Ohio House District, the property tax savings for the average senior citizen homeowner living in each school district is as follows:
School District Tax Savings
Cambridge $378
East Guernsey $328
Rolling Hills $326
East Muskingum $331
Caldwell $259
Noble Local $257
Fort Frye $319
Frontier $314
Marietta $296
The Governor proposes to pay for this property tax relief by securitizing the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement. Basically, the state will sell the right to receive these future payments. The Office of Budget and Management estimates this will bring $5 billion. The securitization proceeds will also allow the Ohio School Facilities Commission to accelerate the construction of new schools without incurring new bond debt. The interest savings realized from paying down the bond debt will replace the lost revenue from the expansion of the homestead exemption. This plan reduces Ohio’s debt load and provides property tax relief.
Over the past month, three bills passed the House. House Resolution 22, urges the National Park Service in the United States Department of Interior to include Fort Ancient Earthworks, Newark Earthworks, Hopewell Culture National Historic Park, Sunwatch Indian Village and Archeological Park, and Serpent Mound on the United States Tentative List submitted to the United Nations for the World Heritage List.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization seeks to encourage the identifying, protecting, and preserving of cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to have outstanding value to humanity. I voted “yes”. The Resolution passed unanimously.
House Bill 53 changed outdated language in Ohio laws regarding mental health. The bill replaces words like – lunatic, imbecile, idiot, drunkard, and deaf and dumb with a “person incompetent by reason of mental illness.” An incompetent person is then defined as “a person who is mentally impaired as a result of mental or physical illness or disability, mental retardation, or as a result of chronic substance abuse, that the person is incapable of taking proper care of the person’s self or property or fails to provide for the person’s family or the person’s for whom the person is charged by law to provide.” This is the same definition found in law regarding guardianships. I voted “yes.” The bill passed.
This week House Bill 24 passed out of the House. This legislation authorizes municipalities to allow self-employed taxpayers to take a municipal income tax deduction for amounts paid for medical care insurance and amounts paid into health savings accounts. This bill is permissive, not mandatory, on municipalities. I voted “yes.” The bill passed unanimously.
You can reach Jennifer Garrison at her Columbus office at 614-644-8728 or in the district at 740-373-2414 or by e-mail at jennifer@jennifergarrison.com. Her website is Riffe Center | 77 South High Street | Columbus Ohio 43215-6111 | (800) 282-0253 | District93@ohr.state.oh.us
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