South Side homeowner Bonnie Mitchell sees 500% tax hike
South Side homeowner Bonnie Mitchell sees 500% tax hike, seeks relief through Legal Aid Society; is able to keep house
- Property tax rates in Franklin County, Ohio for 2024 and collected in 2025 vary significantly based on location and factors such as school district boundaries.
- Perry Township officials attribute high property taxes there to the cost of providing quality public services, such as police and fire.
(Editor’s Note: This story has been updated so that the measurement used to determine the highest and lowest places for property taxes is based on the effective tax rate. While the total tax rate figures from the Franklin County Treasurer’s Office used previously were not incorrect, the effective rate reflects what all homeowners would actually pay before any deductions, such as owner-occupied, etc.)
Rising property taxes have become a huge issue for many Ohio homeowners, some of whom have been forced out of their houses by skyrocketing tax bills.
The situation has been magnified in Franklin County, where properties countywide recently underwent a reassessment by the county Auditor’s Office to reflect updated valuations based on comparative sales and other factors.
A review by The Dispatch of property tax rates in Franklin County found that, before owner-occupied and other allowed discounts, some homeowners are paying nearly $46 more in total effective property taxes for every $1,000 of assessed value compared to those living elsewhere in the county.
School district tax rates — which are always the highest — as well as local municipal or township rates and even rates for library taxes vary wildly, The Dispatch review showed. The result can be residents in some communities paying higher property taxes than others.
The Dispatch review found that property owners in Perry Township pay the highest total property tax rates in Franklin County before any qualified discounts, based on the 2024 property tax rates for 2025 published by Franklin County Treasurer Cheryl Brooks Sullivan.
And even within the township, there are variations in what a Perry Township resident pays.
A Perry Township resident annexed in Worthington city and within the Worthington City School District pays the highest total property tax rate in Franklin County at $87.10 (rounded) on every $1,000 of assessed valuation, The Dispatch review found.
Opinion: Your property taxes could be lower. Here’s why they aren’t.
Meanwhile, a Perry Township resident annexed in the city of Upper Arlington and the Dublin City School District pays $86.89 for every $1,000 of assessed valuation. The tax rate for Perry Township residents in the city of Columbus and Upper Arlington is $86.51.
The reason for the different school district tax rates is because school district boundaries were drawn before municipalities such as Columbus started annexing land, and those borders don’t always match township or city limits, according to the Franklin County Auditor’s Office.
“Even if a resident lives in Perry Township, their school district is determined by the existing school district boundaries rather than township limits. As a result, a household in Perry Township could fall into Dublin City Schools, Worthington City Schools, or Columbus City Schools, depending on where their property sits within these pre-existing district lines,” the auditor’s office said in an email to The Dispatch.
Perry Township trustee talks tax rates
Chet Chaney, who serves as a Perry Township trustee and president of the Franklin County Township Association, said that the property tax rates that residents pay are a reflection of the quality of emergency services they want, which they vote for when it comes time to approve or reject tax levies.
“I tell residents that it’s really your decision. It’s a determination of the kind of services you want,” said Chaney.
As an example, Chaney discussed the police levy that Perry Township residents approved in the November 2024 general election. Township voters approved a 7.57-mill continuing levy costing $265 for each $100,000 of property value appraised by the county auditor’s office. Chaney said that the money generated from the levy goes toward continued training for Perry Township police officers and police cruisers, as well as continued training for the fire department and other emergency services.
John Petrozzi, the former Perry Township police chief, recalled how when he served from 2016 to 2021, police cruisers went for around $26,000 each. Now, he noted, they’ve skyrocketed to $48,000 each.
Petrozzi also noted that after the 2020 protests that rocked the country after George Floyd Jr. was killed by a Minneapolis police officer, the department was required by the state to provide additional training to officers.
“We believe all the (police officer) education and the training that we’re required to do — and even the education and training we’re not required to do — is a huge investment into our workforce, into the police, the fire department, whoever,” said Chaney. He also said that at the same time, the township is not immune to the increase in various costs for equipment and materials for the services the township provides to its residents.
Chaney encouraged anyone buying a home anywhere to do their due diligence and understand their tax exposure and its impact on their escrow as part of their total monthly bill for housing before signing on the dotted line.
Home sales in Perry not showing impact of higher property taxes, trustee says
Despite having the highest property tax rates in Franklin County, Chaney said that has not stymied people from moving into Perry Township. From 2024 to this year, there have been 10 home sales in Worthington Hills, a subdivision within Perry Township, he said. The average sales price thus far in 2025 is $596,000.
When asked why he believes Perry Township continues to attract residents even with the high property tax rate, Cheny said that people want a safe community to raise their families and live their lives, and Perry Township can provide it.
“Perry Township is a wonderful community,” said Chaney. “We go the extra mile to make sure that people are welcome, and they feel safe here, so they can worry about the important things like raising their kids, taking care of their parents, and enjoying life.”
Here are the top 10 most expensive places to live in Franklin County based on total 2024 property tax rates collected in 2025 (before any owner-occupancy and other eligible credits):
What can property owners do about rising tax bills?
Property owners in Franklin County who have complaints regarding the assessed value of their home can file complaints with the Franklin County Auditor’s Office Board of Revision. The deadline to file a complaint is Monday, March 31.
Property owners who file complaints with the board are encouraged to submit supporting documentation when making their case, such as settlement/closing statements, purchase contracts, deeds, appraisals and comparative sales of other, similar properties, according to the auditor’s office.
Property owners can look at their estimated tax bill by using the Franklin County Auditor’s Office tax estimator.
Another option for some homeowners who want to remain in Franklin County but want lower property taxes is to move where property taxes are cumulatively much lower. This is not an option for a lot of people due to current mortgage rates and the availability of homes for sale.
Where are the least expensive property taxes in Franklin County?
Residents of the South-Western City School District pay the lowest effective property tax rates in Franklin County, The Dispatch review found. The total rate again varies depending on where you live in the district.
Here are the 10 places in Franklin County with the lowest total effective property tax rates for 2024 collected in 2025 (before owner-occupancy or other eligible credits)
What are Ohio lawmakers doing about rising property taxes?
Because of constituents complaining about their skyrocketing property tax bills, Ohio lawmakers earlier this month passed House Bill 28. The measure is aimed at lowering property tax increases by prohibiting local governments, school districts and other taxing jurisdictions from putting replacement levies on the ballot.
Replacement levies are confused with renewal levies by some voters. The difference is renewals keep the same millage rate at the county auditor’s appraised value when the levy was passed. Replacement levies keep millage rates the same but tax homeowners at their current and presumably higher appraised valuations set by their county auditor’s office.
Municipal and school officials, as well as those from other taxing districts, argue that their operating costs are steadily increasing and they need the additional revenue from replacement levies. The measure is now before the state Senate.
@ShahidMeighan