CITIZEN PRESS RELEASE: The Committee to Abolish Ohio Property Taxes Provides Response to Senator Jerry C. Cirino’s Dirty Tricks
STATEWIDE - The Committee to Abolish Ohio property taxes listened intently to State Senator Jerry C. Cirino (District 18) on the Bob Frantz’s “Strictly Speaking” radio program on July 1, 2025.
We must call out Senator Cirino for his “dirty tricks” politics, and his unbelievable lack of concern for seniors in the State of Ohio.
Senator Cirino stated on the radio program that it is his understanding that the committee to collect signatures to abolish property taxes have abandoned their efforts. NOTHING could be further from the truth. Cirino’s dirty trick in trying to discourage the citizens will not work. The Committee, and the over 1,000 circulators, are even more adamant in the fight to save home ownership in Ohio. He and Governor DeWine have re-energized us, and we will fight for the citizens of Ohio to keep their homes. Our goal is to place the constitutional amendment on the May, 2026 or November, 2026 ballot. This will be an election issue, and we will call out the incumbents and candidates that are willing to cause citizens to lose their homes.
Senator Cirino also said that providing this constitutional amendment without also providing a solution to a replacement source of funding was irresponsible. The legislators have had a chance to solve the public school funding issue since the Supreme Court ruled on March 24, 1997 that the state funding system “fails to provide for a thorough and efficient system of common schools”. Governor DeWine recently stated that the schools are funded primarily by the income taxes and property taxes. We now know that the income tax rate for those earning over $250,000 has been reduced and eventually will be eliminated. Therefore, an even greater emphasis is going to be placed on property taxes to fund public schools – compounding the problem for the average citizen.
We do not have a problem generating revenue in our state, we have a problem controlling the spending of the thousands of taxing authorities across our state. The public sector is outgrowing the private sector’s ability to pay for the services.
Senator Cirino, when asked about the problem of the ever-increasing property taxes pricing seniors and those on fixed income out of their homes that they have worked all their lives to achieve, made this statement directly to Brian Massie, member of the Committee:
“If a senior cannot afford their property taxes, they should sell their home and move into an apartment. This will also help with the housing shortage in Ohio”.
We ask the citizens of Ohio if this is the type of leadership we want to represent us in Ohio? Do we want a Governor and legislators that fail to support the average citizen in favor of their donor base?
