CINCINNATI — Homeowners in Hamilton County will receive a property tax rebate in 2025.
Hamilton County commissioners on Thursday voted to take 30% of the one-half percent sales tax proceeds from the stadium deal, or $31.4 million, and apply it to property tax reductions for the 2024 tax year payable in 2025. The vote was 2-1, with Alicia Reece and Stephanie Summerow Dumas voting "yes" and Denise Driehaus voting "no."
Chief Deputy Auditor Amy Humphrey said they estimate homeowners will save $106.97 per $100,000 of assessed property value. Humphrey added they won't know the exact amount until the end of the year.
"Homeowners are facing mounting challenges, including high property taxes, increased utility bills, and rising food costs," Hamilton County Commissioner Alicia Reece said in a press release about the vote. "Many, especially our senior citizens, are struggling to make ends meet. If we can honor our commitments to the sports teams, we must honor our commitments to the taxpayers."
County Commissioner Denise Driehaus, who voted "no" on the motion, says she supported the County Administrator's recommendation of an 18.8% rebate. She says that would give back $67.50 per $100,000 of property value.
"A 30% PTR will provide $106.97 per $100,000 in home value or only $3.29 more per month than the 18.8% recommendation. To me, the additional $3.29 is not worth risking the General Fund and all the many programs our community relies on the county to fund," Driehaus said, in part, in a statement to WCPO 9 News.
The rebate comes from when voters approved a one-half percent sales tax increase to help fund new stadiums in 1996. They were promised a property tax rebate as part of the deal. While the county was able to meet the rebate in the years following the tax's passage, it has only offered the rebate a few times in the last decade.
Property taxes for many rose after 2023's sexennial property reassessment in the county, so the relief will be a welcome one.
"Our board has made investments in new affordable housing, but we must also prioritize helping people keep the homes they already have. At the same time, the state of Ohio must address the housing revaluation formula and allow us to freeze property taxes for those who need it most," said Reece said.
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