Group gathers signatures for petition to eliminate Ohio property taxes

WOWK
By Stan Boney
July 24, 2025

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Ohio citizens met Tuesday at the Magic Tree Pub & Eatery in Boardman for an effort to eliminate the state’s property taxes.

The line at the restaurant stretched the length of the deck of people waiting to sign a petition to place a constitutional amendment on the November 2026 ballot that would outlaw all property taxes in Ohio.

“Mine, just as everyone else’s, have been going up exponentially. Terrible,” said Sher Wenowitz, a Canfield resident who came to the petition signing.

The group behind the petition is called Mahoning County Tax Relief, spearheaded by Mark Brandenstein

“It’s plain and simple. We’re being taxed out of our home,” Brandenstein said.

Brandenstein helped organize the petition drive. He was pleased with the turnout.

“Everybody kept their mouth shut for 30 to 40 years. Nobody said anything to help out the property owner. Well, now we’re going for the jugular,” Brandenstein said.

Organizer Denise DiFabio also showed up to support the signing. She’s also circulating petitions.

“There’s a lot of stories out there. people have found themselves in trouble,” DiFabio said. “I think the way it’s calculated now is not fair, because it’s based on what they say your property is worth, and you’re not maybe selling your home, but yet you’re paying a high price every single year.”

State Rep. Tex Fischer of Boardman also showed up to support the effort — just one day after voting to override one of Gov. Mike DeWine’s property tax vetoes, which Fischer said was not enough.

“I think it will pass, and I think it will pass comfortably,” Fischer said. “I think the legislature, as much as some of us are trying, we are paralyzed by our inability to make a decision.”

Property taxes pay for schools, police and fire departments, parks, roads and bridges. The tax relief group believes that funding for those services will have to come from elsewhere.

“I would say the trustees of the townships in Ohio and the county commissioners better start working now, better get down to work now to figure out how they’re going to do this funding,” Brandenstein said.

“I would say sales tax, but it’s up to Columbus. It’s not up to us,” DiFabio said.

“It’s going to be our job in the Legislature to figure out how to fund these critical services and programs,” Fischer said.

There are other petition signing events planned to eliminate the property tax in Ohio. There will be one Saturday morning in Salem and one Sunday afternoon in Austintown.