Property Tax Working Group Faces Relevancy as Legislative Action Looms |
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Ohio's Property Tax Working Group moved toward consensus on a limited deferral program last week, but growing pressure for immediate action threatens to sideline the panel's deliberative approach. The panel was created by Governor DeWine earlier this summer and is expected to release its full recommendations by the end of the month. The working group is discussing a limited tax payment deferral program: - Homeowners 65 and older who have owned their homes for 10 years could delay paying taxes until they die or sell their property.
- Homeowners with income up to $46,000-$50,000 per year would be eligible.
- There would be no interest on delayed payments.
Other proposals being discussed: - Eliminate the 10% nonbusiness tax credit and devote the new revenues to increasing the 2.5% owner-occupied tax credit.
- Allow local governments to create Residential Stability Zones for income/asset-tested homeowners 60 or older with a tax break as home values increase.
- Capping school-district floor revenue growth to inflation by crediting property owners and recalculating every 3 years.
However, disagreement emerged over how much help to offer. Some have proposed matching relief to recent tax increases, while county officials argued such assistance won't prevent people from losing their homes. |
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 The working group's efforts may prove to be irrelevant. Legislators are impatient given the political pressure they are feeling from property owners and may move forward on their own ideas this fall. |
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| JobsOhio's New “Super Sectors” Strategy |
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JobsOhio, the state’s private economic development corporation, is sharpening its strategy for driving investment and job growth by adding a new emphasis on “Super Sectors.” While still maintaining its focus on traditional core industries, the introduction of Super Sectors reflects the recognition that the economy is increasingly shaped by cross-cutting opportunities that span multiple industries. Sectors include: - Semiconductors & Microelectronics
- Advanced Aerospace & Defense
- Life Science/Biotech
- Artificial Intelligence
- Energy
By developing initiatives around Super Sectors, JobsOhio hopes to better align state resources, workforce development, and innovation efforts to meet the needs of rapidly evolving markets. |
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 As JobsOhio rolls out this strategy, companies and communities can expect to see new initiatives, partnerships, and programs that leverage both the traditional industry strengths and the broader Super Sector opportunities that will define the next generation of economic growth. |
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$30M Biomanufacturing Workforce Initiative Launched |
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One of the first elements of JobsOhio’s Super Sectors’ plan is the creation of a $30 million workforce program to capitalize on opportunities in biomanufacturing. Announced last week, the initiative would help train Ohioans for jobs in pharmaceutical manufacturing and biotech. A new training center will be built in Central Ohio with labs, simulated clean rooms, and classrooms. The Ohio Life Sciences Association, in partnership with JobsOhio and One Columbus, will manage the effort. Investments in U.S. biomanufacturing have surged into the hundreds of billions of dollars this year, driven by reshoring, supply chain security, and domestic production priorities. |
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 By tying workforce development directly to its Super Sector strategy, JobsOhio is making a smart, forward-looking play. With the right infrastructure and talent pipeline, Ohio is positioned to capture a disproportionate share of new federal and private investment in biomanufacturing. |
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Ohio Redistricting Faces Tight Timeline |
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Ohio's congressional redistricting process has begun with the General Assembly facing a Sept. 30 deadline to adopt a bipartisan congressional map. Failure to meet this initial deadline triggers a cascade of backup procedures designed to ensure new district lines are in place before the 2026 elections. Should legislators fail to craft a bipartisan plan by month's end, mapmaking authority shifts to the Ohio Redistricting Commission. The seven-member panel would then have until Oct. 31 to produce a bipartisan congressional map acceptable to both parties. A second failure would return redistricting responsibilities to the Legislature, but under significantly more restrictive conditions. The final November 30 deadline would require lawmakers to adopt maps under stricter constitutional guidelines that limit partisan maneuvering. The compressed timeline reflects Ohio's mid-decade redistricting mandate, triggered after elected officials failed to create bipartisan maps following the 2020 census. Previous redistricting efforts have faced repeated legal challenges and constitutional violations. Republican legislative leaders recently launched a public portal allowing citizens to submit proposed district boundary plans, with numerous submissions have already uploaded. See: https://redistricting.legislature.ohio.gov/ |
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 The three-deadline structure creates increasing pressure and constraints on mapmakers at each step. While the initial 9/30 deadline allows maximum legislative flexibility, the successive deadlines impose progressively stricter constitutional requirements. This design theoretically incentivizes early bipartisan compromise, though Ohio's recent redistricting history suggests the process may well extend to the final November deadline. |
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Our Grant Alert list is updated! Review the list of ongoing grant opportunities, click the link below. |
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