Per Chris Quinn’s Aug. 17 “From the Editor column (” Lessons that Ohioans in 2025 could learn from a western from 1960 “), taxes are how we act in common cause, paying forward for schools, safety, and prosperity. Abolishing property taxes would create chaos, not relief.

Ohio’s current crisis stems in part from state leaders shifting costs onto local governments while cutting income taxes — mostly for the wealthiest. Another problem is the sheer number of taxing jurisdictions — schools, townships, counties, special districts — each with their own levies. That patchwork drives inefficiency and fuels taxpayer frustration.

Real reform should address both the state resuming its fair share of local funding, and communities examining whether so many overlapping tax authorities are necessary.

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