PIchu0102

A Mahoning County Commissioner contends that Ohio’s sales tax would need to more than double to replace property tax revenue used to fund schools.

Commissioner Geno DiFabio stated on Monday in a social media post that the state’s current tax structure would not support a full repeal of property taxes without a significant increase in other taxes.

DiFabio said the state's property tax system generates about $15 billion for schools annually. He contrasted this with the state's portion of sales tax, which is 5.75% and yields about $14 billion a year.

His analysis suggests that to cover the current school funding, the sales tax would need to increase. In Mahoning County, the current sales tax rate is 7.5%, while neighboring Trumbull County has a rate of 6.75%, and Columbiana County's is 7.25%.