State Representative Jennifer Gross February 2025 Newsletter

District 45 Happenings

Speaking at ABC Representative Gross was honored to speak at the Ohio Valley Association of Builders and Contractors regional member meeting, a construction trade organization with over 23,000 members nationwide. At the meeting, Representative Gross spoke about several bills that impact the construction industry as well as how the public can advocate for the policies they support. Representative Gross enjoyed learning more about the measures ABC believes will remove burdens on the construction industry, allowing for faster builds, lower costs, and more competition within the industry.

ACTE Legislative Day

Representative Gross enjoyed speaking with students and instructors from Butler Tech Career and Technology Center at a legislative seminar hosted by the Ohio Association for Career and Technical Education (OACTE), an organization providing support for career-technical and adult educators.

During the meeting, Representative Gross learned more about OACTE’s contributions to local communities, including how they serve over 20 percent of students enrolled in career technical education throughout Ohio.

Legislative Update 

Ohio House Discusses Property Tax Reform

Inflation has hit Ohioans especially hard this year in real estate with property values climbing. The Ohio House is committed to acting this year and to help the issue.

Legislators are discussing solutions that would address this issue by targeting unvoted increases, providing direct help to those most in need, and make voting easier to understand for taxpayers. The chamber is looking to introduce multiple specific, single-issue bills to make it easier to understand exactly what legislation passes, and to move legislation as efficiently as possible so Ohio property owners can be relieved as early as next year. 

Additionally, the unvoted increases - either the 10-Mill Inside Millage or 20-Mill Floor- were not mandatory for local governments to accept. This means they have the option to forgo the increases, reduce tax rates, or take other actions to lessen the property tax burden. Ohioans may want to reach out to their local government to ask why they chose to receive the unvoted increase, how they plan to use those additional funds, and if they would consider lowering tax rates in the future.

Representative Report

“The Governor’s proposed budget recommendations were released on February 3rd, 2025. The Operating Budget is the largest of the four budgets the Ohio Legislature must pass. The Governor’s version of the Operating Budget recommends $108,618,048,634 for fiscal year 2026 and $110,701,172,652 for fiscal year 2027.

Over the next two months, my colleagues and I will be hearing from the public to determine the priorities for the Operating Budget. Legislation will then be voted on through the House Finance Committee before being finalized to be sent over to the Senate at the beginning of April.

The Senate will then hold hearings to receive public input and draft changes to the budget to reflect their priorities. The legislature’s version of the Operating Budget is then sent to the governor where he can veto portions of the bill.

As the Operating Budget is developed, I will continue to advocate for wise use of the resources of Ohioans and smart spending of taxpayer dollars.”

As always, please do not hesitate to contact my office. It is an honor and privilege to serve you! 

Respectfully,

Jennifer Gross - District 45