No property taxes in Ohio? Then who pays the bills?

On a quiet street in Dayton, a retired couple opens the mail and finds the familiar envelope from the county treasurer. The house is paid off. The mortgage is long gone. They’ve lived there for 30 years, but the tax bill keeps coming.

It’s a scene playing out across the Miami Valley from Springfield to Middletown, in neighborhoods where people thought they had financial security. And it helps explain why an idea that once sounded radical is now getting nods and applause: get rid of property taxes altogether.

At first glance, the appeal is obvious. Rising home values over the past few years have pushed tax bills higher in Butler, Clark, Greene, Montgomery and Warren counties.

And if someone falls behind, the consequences are real. Tax liens. Foreclosure proceedings.

There’s another layer to the frustration. Many residents believe local government budgets, from school districts to townships to city halls, have grown steadily over the years. They see new administrative buildings, expanded staffing, facility upgrades, bond issues and levy requests appear on the ballot with regularity. They notice school districts asking voters to renew or increase operating levies. They hear about capital projects and long-term improvement plans.

And they ask a fair question: before asking taxpayers for more, has the government done enough to rein in its own growth?

In most schools in Ohio, much of the budget goes toward salaries, benefits and transportation, costs that rise year after year. Public safety departments face similar pressures, with equipment, healthcare and pension costs increasing over time.

This column was first published by the Dayton Daily News. See the rest of it here.