The Property Tax System Is Breaking—and Ohio Might Be Ground Zero

A year after Ohio’s property tax crisis reached a boiling point, the state has begun rolling out relief—but the fallout is still plain enough to see.Cuyahoga County sold a record $18 million in delinquent property tax debt in June, while Mahoning County’s auditor lists more than 24,000 delinquent parcels. And with some of the biggest reforms only beginning to reach tax bills, it remains unclear if it is too little, too late.The roots of the pressure reach back years, as soaring home values, reassessments, and rising tax bills pushed frustration across Ohio to a breaking point.Last spring, Mahoning County tax delinquency rate hit 18%, with more than $70 million in unpaid property taxes. Some neighborhoods in Youngstown saw rates as high as 1 in 3 homeowners behind. In Cuyahoga County, values jumped 32% on average after reassessments, fueling a $60 million increase in past-due balances.Matt Nolan, president of the County Auditors’ Association of Ohio, warned it could get worse, saying that homeowners could face an additional 25% increase in property taxes in the coming years.The Buckeye State now ranks eighth in the nation for property tax burden—ahead of even New York and California...