County Budget Commission Slashes Property Tax Rates
Vol. III, No. 190 - Every parcel in the county will see some property tax rate reduction beginning in 2026
Yesterday, the Miami County Budget Commission handed property owners an unexpected Christmas gift—a combined $12 million reduction in local property taxes. The move, which quietly reshapes the county’s tax landscape for 2026, was made possible by new state-level authority handed down through the latest state budget. With a unanimous vote, the three-member commission—comprised of the County Prosecutor, Auditor, and Treasurer—approved lower millage rates for every taxing district in Miami County, from the smallest township to the largest school system.
The adjustments themselves vary widely. Townships, which depend almost entirely on property taxes to fund daily operations, saw modest cuts. In Bethel Township, the reduction was just 0.04 mills, barely enough for residents to notice. Washington Township’s rollback reached 0.65 mills, slightly more visible but still minimal in fiscal impact. For villages and cities, the picture looks different. Because municipalities rely on a blend of income and property taxes, the reductions there were more dramatic—between 0.06 mills in small villages like Fletcher and a striking 1.4 mills in Pleasant Hill.
Pleasant Hill’s leaders took an unusual step: the Village Council voted to eliminate its entire inside millage. In practical terms, that means Pleasant Hill will collect no property tax revenue in 2026. It’s a bold signal from local officials that the village intends to lean entirely on other revenue sources—an experiment in municipal budgeting that will test just how far other sources of income can stretch.
Across the county’s other cities, the effects will vary. Piqua’s rate will drop 0.75 mills, Tipp City’s 0.19 mills, and Troy’s rates—because its parcels are split into four distinct taxing districts—will fall somewhere between 0.08 and 0.63 mills. Most Troy property owners will see their rate decline by about 0.49 mills.
The largest changes came in the school districts, which together account for the majority of property tax revenue collected countywide. The Tipp City School District will see a notable 6.18-mill reduction, easily the steepest in the county. Bradford’s schools, by contrast, will experience just a 0.74-mill cut. In practical terms, that range reflects both the diversity of district size and their dependency on different levies to fund education.
When the reductions across schools, townships, municipalities, and the county itself are combined, the total impact becomes significant. For example, a property owner in Troy’s largest taxing district will see a combined rollback of roughly 2.27 mills in 2026—evidence that the changes will not be isolated, but cumulative.
Behind these numbers is a complicated story of valuation, law, and timing. Earlier this year, the county completed its property reappraisal cycle, an event that gave notice to property owners that property values, and the accompanying taxes, could skyrocket. Across many neighborhoods, values leapt by nearly 50 percent. Such dramatic increases created both political and fiscal tension: residents feared ballooning tax bills, while local governments faced uncomfortable questions about windfalls they were about to receive.
State lawmakers responded earlier this year by reforming how county budget commissions operate, granting them new discretion to lower millage rates when valuations spike. That discretion is what the Miami County Budget Commission exercised this week.
For decades, the county budget commission has been a procedural body, quietly reviewing tax documents and certifying figures without much public attention. Today, that quiet role is evolving into something far more consequential. These new adjustments mark the first real test of how local fiscal oversight adapts to the realities of rapid valuation growth—and whether the county’s tax structure remains fair and sustainable as it changes.
What happened Monday wasn’t simply an accounting adjustment; it was a signal that local fiscal oversight is becoming an active arena and will be part of the local government focus for years to come. Property owners will notice the relief next year, but the deeper story lies in how these commissions, once obscure, are now positioned to shape the balance between local government funding and taxpayer protection. In a year defined by growth and inflation, that might be the most substantial development of all.
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