Can Florida and Ohio Kill Property Taxes?

IN A 1995 episode of The Simpsons, teachers at the dilapidated Springfield Elementary School make an impassioned plea for more school funding at a PTA meeting, telling parents, “It’s for your children’s future.” Principal Skinner easily changes their minds by simply rubbing his fingers together. “Oh yeah, the taxes, the finger thing means the taxes,” exclaim the disgruntled parents, who then reject any funding that requires a tax increase.

- Christian Britschgi

There are several parallels between that episode and the real-life property tax revolts sweeping Florida and Ohio. In both states, spiking property values have led to rising property taxes and growing anti-tax sentiment among homeowners. Lawmakers and activists are responding with proposals to cap, cut, or even eliminate property taxes altogether.

Florida lawmakers have unveiled not one, not two, but seven different proposed constitutional amendments that would pare back property taxes. The two most far-reaching would eliminate nonschool homestead property taxes on owner-occupied primary residences. One would go into effect immediately, while the other would be phased in over 10 years.

In Ohio, petitioners are gathering signatures for a constitutional amendment that would eliminate all taxes on real property.

Taxation is theft, the libertarian adage goes. Therefore, one could be forgiven for giving unqualified support for these efforts to eliminate property taxes. Unfortunately, both Ohio and Florida's property tax critics have the same contradictory attitude toward local government budgets as the fictional Springfield parents. They don’t like property taxes but they are also not eager to cut the government services they fund.