House Bill 96, which passed last year, allows county commissioners in Ohio to double the homestead exemption and owner occupancy tax reduction for eligible homeowners.
That means commissioners in each county could double the savings on property tax homeowners currently have to pay.

Thursday, Mahoning county commissioners talked about House Bill 96.
While they agree senior citizens should get a break on paying property taxes, they wonder just how much of an effect it would have on all the entities in the county who rely solely on property taxes to fund their operations.

"Their solution is basically to put us out of business. You're robbing Peter to pay Paul," said Mahoning County Commissioner Anthony Traficanti.  He says Ohio lawmakers are trying to help Ohio seniors and veterans but it may come at the cost of harming everything in the state that is funded by property taxes.

Things like schools, infrastructure, police and fire services just to name a few.
The hit it would take on schools alone in the county would be significant.

"Austintown schools around $1 million. Boardman $1.3 million. Canfield about $700,000. Poland a $700,000 reduction," said County Auditor, Ralph Meachum.

Trumbull County Commissioners seem to be a little more interested in doubling the homestead exemption because they believe new big businesses like Amazon and Kimberly Clark could offset those losses.
Mahoning county, though, hasn't seen these kind of additions.

"We're the ones that are gonna enforce it and who take the hit? Your kids do. The programs do. Developmental disability. Mental health," said County Commissioner, Carol Rimedio Righetti.

"What scares me now is the state just reduced the income tax. So they will have less money they say they can send back. At the end of the day everyone needs help and it has to come from Columbus," said County Commissioner, Gino DeFabio.

Nearby Lake and Lorain county's have already approved the 5% property tax break for seniors.