COLUMBUS — A proposed constitutional amendment to eliminate property taxes in Ohio has cleared its first legal hurdle. On May 9, 2025, Attorney General Dave Yost certified that the petition titled “Abolishment of Taxes on Real Property” meets state requirements for clarity and accuracy.
The amendment would add Section 14 to Article XII of the Ohio Constitution, and if passed by voters, it would eliminate all taxes on real property in the state. The petition was submitted on May 1 by Elayne Cross of Kent, Ohio, along with more than 1,000 signatures, which were verified by county boards of elections as required by law.
Under Ohio Revised Code Section 3519.01, the Attorney General’s role is limited to determining whether the title and summary of the proposal fairly and truthfully represent the measure. “Having carefully examined this submission, I conclude that the title and summary are fair and truthful statements of the proposed constitutional amendment,” Yost wrote in a certified letter sent to the petitioner.
The proposal now moves to the Ohio Ballot Board, which will determine whether it constitutes a single constitutional amendment or multiple amendments. If approved by the board, petitioners will then be required to collect a significant number of valid signatures to qualify for the statewide ballot.
Based on the roughly 4.2 million votes cast in the 2022 gubernatorial election, petitioners must gather approximately 420,000 valid signatures, equal to 10% of the total. These must be spread across at least 44 of Ohio’s 88 counties, with each of those counties contributing at least 5% of its own gubernatorial vote total. To account for disqualified or duplicate signatures, campaigns often aim for 500,000 or more.
If enough valid signatures are submitted and verified by the Ohio Secretary of State at least 65 days before an election, the amendment would appear on the next regular or general election ballot occurring more than 125 days after filing.
If approved by voters, the amendment would eliminate property taxes, which currently provide a significant share of funding for Ohio’s public schools, local governments, and public services. The potential impact on how those services would be financed in the absence of property tax revenue remains a central question as the proposal advances through the process.
The issue of school funding is especially significant in light of past legal rulings. In DeRolph v. State, a landmark series of decisions beginning in 1997, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled that the state’s system of school funding — which relied heavily on local property taxes — was unconstitutional. The court cited disparities in educational quality between wealthy and poor districts and called for a complete overhaul of the system to meet constitutional requirements. While some reforms followed, critics argue that the state still relies too heavily on local property taxes and has never fully complied with the DeRolph mandate.
The full text of the petition and the Attorney General’s certification letter are available through the Ohio Attorney General’s website.