Ohio
Ohio families feel financial pressure as tax debate grows
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — Families across Ohio say rising property taxes, inflation, and the increasing cost of living are putting more strain on their budgets. Households continue to question how much taxpayers can afford.
The issue is becoming a growing political debate statewide, as discussions continue over possible tax reforms and how Ohio communities fund schools, police, fire departments, and other public services.
Ohio homeowners say property taxes have climbed significantly over the past several years. A recent poll conducted by ABC 6 shows the majority of our viewers’ property taxes have increase $500-$1,500 annually.
When we asked whether their incomes had kept pace with those higher costs, the majority answered their income has increased, but it is not enough to keep up with every day costs.
That frustration is fueling broader conversations about affordability and whether Ohio’s current tax system is sustainable for working families and retirees.
Several Central Ohio school districts say failed levies could lead to reductions in programs and services. After voters rejected a recent tax issue in Pickerington, Superintendent Charles Smialek warned the district may eventually need to cut transportation, extracurricular activities, administrative rolls, and classroom resources.
“If we fail in November, it starts to cut into our classroom,” Smialek said in an interview with ABC 6 earlier this month.
Many districts throughout Ohio rely heavily on local property tax revenue to operate. Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is pushing a plan to reduce property taxes and eventually phase out Ohio’s state income tax over a 10-year plan.
But economists say lowering or eliminating those taxes would likely require the state to either raise other taxes or reduce spending.
Jared Pincin, Associate Professor of Economics at Cedarville University, said states without income taxes often depend more heavily on sales taxes and fees.
“Voters should be asking politicians what the specifics are with their plans,” Pincin said. “That’s the information politicians should be pressed on.”
He added that while tax changes can happen gradually, there is still a trade-off if the state wants to maintain current levels of funding for public services.
“If you’re going to eliminate the income tax and you want to keep the revenue the same, you’ll have to increase taxes or cut spending to offset that,” Pincin said. “Assessed property values have increased and even if the rate doesn’t change, that has allowed the tax bill itself to rise.”
Pincin recommended taking advantage of retirement accounts and relocating to a more affordable town to ease taxes. “Are you maxing out or are you putting away savings in accounts that are pre-taxed?” he added.
Governor DeWine warned sales tax rates could skyrocket to 20% if property and income taxes were abolished.
DeWine added that Ohio lawmakers may also have to consider hiking other taxes, such as the state’s income taxes, to plug the roughly $24 billion budget hole that would result with the elimination of property taxes.
A grassroots group called Citizens for Property Tax Reform is backing a constitutional amendment that would eliminate property taxes completely.
But another coalition, Ohioans to Protect Public Services, warns eliminating property taxes without a replacement funding plan could severely impact schools, police and fire departments, libraries, senior centers, and disability services.
Ohioans to Protect Public Services says property taxes make up nearly two-thirds of all local funding in Ohio. The group says “eliminating them altogether with no plan for what comes next is just reckless.”
Ohio’s Office of Budget and Management warned removing local property taxes without replacing the lost revenue could effectively “defund” many local government services statewide.
“A constitutional amendment to abolish local property taxes, with no plan to replace the lost revenues, would quite literally “defund” the police, fire departments, schools, libraries, senior centers, and other local government services in our communities statewide,” the statement said.
As the debate continues, many Ohio families say they are looking for relief and want to keep tax rates down.
Child drowning deaths peak in summer: Tips to keep your kid safe
Drowning is the leading cause of unintentional injury-related death among children ages one to four, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Scott L. Hall, USA TODAY
As central Ohio braces for a stretch of warm temperatures this week, families looking to cool off will soon have more options as splash pads, spraygrounds and public pools begin to reopen across the Columbus area.
A heat wave is expected to build across the region this week, with temperatures climbing into the upper 80s and low 90s by midweek, according to the National Weather Service.
While many community pools and water features won’t fully open until Memorial Day weekend, several splash pads are already operating or scheduled to reopen within the next several days.
Here’s where to find splash pads, fountains and public pools around central Ohio this summer:
Scioto Mile Fountain reopening May 22
The popular Scioto Mile Fountain at 233 S. Civic Center Drive is scheduled to reopen May 22 and operate through Sept. 7 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.
Downtown Columbus’ annual Fountain Fest celebration is scheduled for May 23 from noon to 4 p.m. at Bicentennial Park. Organizers also plan to offer sensory-friendly hours Mondays from 11 a.m. to noon.
Hilliard splash pad open
The splash pad at Hilliard’s Station Park, 4021 Main St., opened May 18 and operates daily from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. throughout the summer season.
Delaware, Dublin and Powell splash pads opening for season
The Spray and Play splash pad at Veterans Park, 1121 S. Houk Road, Delaware, is expected to open Memorial Day through Labor Day from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The spray fountains at Ballantrae Community Park, 6350 Woerner Temple Road, Dublin, are scheduled to operate May 23 through Sept. 7 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.
The splash pad at Village Green Park, 47 Hall St., Powell, is expected to run daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
Other central Ohio splash pads and fountains
- Easton Town Center fountain area, 160 Easton Town Center, generally operates during shopping center hours, typically 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays.
- The splash pad at Hanby Park, 115 E. Park St., Westerville, is expected to open later in May from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.
- The splash pad at the Plain City Aquatic Center, 160 W. 2nd St., will open Memorial Day weekend from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., then will officially open for the season May 30 until Sept. 7.
- Obetz Splash Pad, 4390 Lancaster Ave., is expected to open Memorial Day weekend through late August from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. for children 12 and younger. Nonresident admission is $5.
- Gahanna Swimming Pool and splash pad opened May 1. The splash area is free from 8 a.m. to noon, while admission or memberships are required from noon to 8 p.m.
Columbus city pools opening in phases
According to Columbus Recreation and Parks Department, city pools will open in phases this summer.
Dodge, Driving, Glenwood and Tuttle parks pools are scheduled to open May 23 before transitioning to full summer hours June 6. Lincoln Park, Maryland and Windsor pools are set to open June 6. Marion Franklin pool remains under construction this summer.
General admission to Columbus city pools is $3.
Trending reporter Amani Bayo can be reached at abayo@dispatch.com.
PERRY TWP., Ohio (WKBN) — The Ohio State Highway Patrol is investigating a Monday morning crash involving a semi-truck that resulted in a woman’s death.
Yolanda Medina Matos, 58, of Campbell, died at the hospital Monday as a result of injuries from a crash around 10 a.m. Monday. The two-vehicle crash happened on state Route 344 at the intersection of Cunningham Road.
A release from authorities states the other driver, a 51-year-old Salem man, was taken to the hospital as a precaution with no apparent injuries.
The release states a car driven by Matos failed to yield at a stop sign at the intersection and was hit by a semi-truck.
In its news release, OSHP reminded drivers of the importance of coming to a complete stop at stop signs and only proceeding through an intersection when it is clear of traffic.
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USA TODAY
Antonio Brent, a second grader at St. Peter’s School in Mansfield, has won third place in the 2026 Imagine Engineering Coloring Contest.
Brent’s drawing was selected from a record-breaking 10,269 entries from second graders across Ohio, according to a community announcement. He will be recognized at an awards luncheon June 13 in Columbus.
Brent’s drawing depicts an engineer visiting a construction site. The central figure, wearing personal protective equipment, reviews plans and specifications while a crew works with heavy equipment in the background.
As a third-place winner, Brent will receive a National Geographic Mega Science Lab with 75 STEM experiments.
Imagine Engineering program introduced in 1999
The Imagine Engineering program was founded by the Engineers Foundation of Ohio in 1999. Since then, the Ohio Society of Professional Engineers has enlisted its members to visit local classrooms and explain what engineers do for a living.
The program is designed to help second graders understand what engineering is and how it impacts their everyday lives. It also aims to inspire students to consider careers in engineering by introducing them to real engineers and hands-on experiments.
In 2021, EFO updated the program by adding an educational resource video titled “Imagine Engineering.” The video features Ohio professional engineers who explain engineering at a fundamental level and demonstrate hands-on experiments that support the second-grade curriculum.
In 2023, EFO received a grant from the P&G Fund of the Greater Cincinnati Foundation to expand the program to include Ohio’s Spanish-speaking second graders. The Spanish translation of the video includes a Spanish-speaking engineer to narrate the lesson and subtitles for the experiments.
“Imagine Engineering is a children’s program that is unique to Ohio, having been created by the Engineers Foundation of Ohio in the late 1990s,” EFO President Joe Cherry said in the announcement. “Over the last quarter of a century, Imagine Engineering has helped ignite the imaginations of tens of thousands of children statewide, encouraging them to focus on math and science – and perhaps a career in engineering.”
For more information about the Imagine Engineering program, visit ohioengineer.com.
This story was created with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct.
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