Find out who ends up with the money from your property tax bill

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio’s reliance on property taxes to fund public schools dates back to the earliest days of statehood.

The state began collecting property taxes in 1803, and by 1822 had formally mandated their use to support education — a system that still dominates local school funding today. The state didn’t institute a sales tax until 1934 and an income tax until 1971.

Nowadays, schools claim the largest share of most homeowners’ property tax bills. In some communities, schools receive as much as three-quarters of the total. In others, the share is lower — but still substantial.

Yet schools are only one piece of the property tax puzzle.

Amid discussions for reform - or outright abolishment of property taxes - cleveland.com analyzed residential property tax bills across Greater Cl