Friday, October 17, 2025

November 4th Election

For my sins I live in Columbus, Ohio, which sits in self-proclaimed splendor in the middle of Franklin County, which is in the middle of the great State of Ohio. Or so I'm told.

The city of Columbus is run by a group of Democrats who are so incompetent that with just a little more effort, the place will look and feel like Los Angeles, California. We've got an election coming up on November 4th, and all the offices are uncontested. There's not a Republican to be found anywhere. What's worse is the property tax situation, which I'll describe below.

Keep reading as you like.
The average assessed home value in Franklin County, Ohio, is approximately $141,700, based on recent data from the county auditor's office. This figure represents the median assessed value, which is used to calculate property taxes and is typically a percentage of the home's market value.

Just to be clear, a mill is a unit used to measure property tax rates, equal to one-thousandth of a dollar or $0.001. This means that one mill represents $1 in property tax for every $1,000 of a property's assessed value. To calculate the tax owed, the property's assessed value is multiplied by the mill rate and then divided by 1,000. For example, a property with an assessed value of $200,000 and a mill rate of 15 would have a tax bill of (200,000×15)/1,000 = 3,000 dollars. Given that the average or median assessed value of a home in Franklin County is $141,700, a property tax of one mill (1) would cost the owner $141.70 per year in property taxes.

Here's what the government is trying to guilt a property owner into paying. Again, the average assessed value for a house in Franklin Township is $141,700.

Franklin Township fire levy; 6.89 mills; Cost: $976.31 per year

Mental Health, Drug, and Addiction Treatment; 3.35 mills; Cost: $474.70 per year

Columbus Zoo; 0.75 mills; Cost: $106.28 per year

Bonds for City Improvement; 0.78 mills; Cost: $110.53 per year

Bonds for Department of Recreation and Parks; 0.78 mills; Cost: $110.53 per year

Bonds for Department of Public Service; 1.29 mills; Cost: $182.79 per year

Bonds for Affordable Housing; 1.39 mills; Cost: $196.96 per year

Bonds for water, power, sanitary sewers and storm sewers and other public utility improvements; 1.21 mills; Cost: $171.46 per year

If all these levies and bonds pass, it's going to cost the owner of an average home an extra $2,329.56 per year just to live in Franklin County.

The bonds are being advertised as not requiring any new tax, and we all know that isn't true. Me, I haven't got an extra two grand and change for drug addicts, mentally ill homeless derelicts who crap in the streets, or anything else. I just don't have it - period.

The Democrats are so fucking stupid that they'll pass all these levies and bond approvals, then have a party as people like me quietly leave the State of Ohio for... I don't know.
 

3 comments:

Ed Bonderenka said...

I've been arguing that property tax is not theft.
But it enables theft when a pensioner or anybody who can't afford the tax, can't afford the tax.
Then it's forfeiture. Civil theft of property.
Not what the founders had in mind.
Rather the exact opposite.

CWMartin said...

The situation politically insofar as putting GOP candidates up for city office is similar. However, ours ain't quite so stupid... yet. But part of the definition of "politician" is, "Having no concept of the monetary struggles of 'people beneath them' ", so it's a matter of time.

Mad Jack said...

Ed: I agree, although I'd like to point out that Florida doesn't have property tax and they seem to get along just fine. Ohio sees property tax as a license to mint money - at a property owner's expense.

CW: What I like most about Vance is that he came from very humble beginnings. He knows what it's like and acts accordingly.