Justin P. Peroli

Property taxes in Ohio keep going up, and too many homeowners feel like they have no real control over the outcome. As a township trustee, I have seen how complicated the system has become. Different taxing authorities, confusing levies, and rising property valuations make it difficult for residents to understand why their bill keeps increasing — even when they vote no or when local officials try to keep spending in check. This is more than a budgeting problem. It is a system that has grown too complicated, too expensive, and too easy for government to rely on. Families, retirees, and small business owners should not have to worry about losing their property because government refuses to fix the way it funds itself. Ohio needs real property tax reform — not small adjustments or temporary fixes, but changes that make the system simpler, more transparent, and accountable to the people who pay for it. If taxpayers are expected to live within their means, government should be held to the same standard.

Government works best when it knows the public is paying attention — and too often, it counts on the public not paying attention at all. As a township trustee, I have seen firsthand how easily government can drift toward doing things the easy way instead of the right way. Records can be difficult to obtain, spending can happen without enough explanation, and decisions sometimes get made with the assumption that no one will ask questions. Public records belong to the public. Meetings should be open and honest. Taxpayers have a right to know how their money is being spent, and elected officials have a duty to explain their decisions. In the Ohio House, I will work for stronger transparency laws, tighter financial oversight, and real limits on government power — not because it sounds good in a campaign, but because accountability is the only way the public keeps control of its government.

Not every problem in Ohio needs to be solved by someone in Columbus. As a township trustee, I have seen how often state rules are written without much understanding of how local government actually works. Townships, villages, and counties are expected to follow one-size-fits-all laws, even when those laws make it harder to serve the people who live there. Local officials are the ones who hear the complaints, answer the questions, and deal with the consequences when policies don't work. They should have the ability to make decisions for their own communities without unnecessary interference from the state. The role of state government is to set fair rules, not to manage every detail of local government. I will work to push back on unnecessary mandates, protect local decision-making, and make sure government at every level remains accountable to the people it serves.

The Constitution was written to limit government, not to give it new ways to control people. Over time, it has become easier for government to pass another law or add another regulation than to ask whether it should be involved at all. Even when the intentions are good, the result is often less freedom and more control over how people live, work, and use their property. The rights protected by the United States and Ohio Constitutions — free speech, the right to bear arms, property rights, and the right to live your life without unnecessary government interference — are not negotiable. Defending those rights means being willing to push back when government goes too far and remembering that the purpose of the Constitution is to set limits on government power, not to expand it. A free society only works when government respects those limits.

Government does not have its own money. Every dollar it spends comes from the people who paid it in taxes. As a township trustee, I have seen how easy it is for spending to grow when no one is paying close attention. Costs increase a little at a time, new expenses get added without enough discussion, and budgets expand simply because the system allows it. Responsible government requires more than good intentions. It requires clear financial controls, careful review of spending, and the willingness to say no when something is not necessary. Taxpayers are expected to live within their means. Government should be expected to do the same.

Government does not create jobs. Small businesses do. As a business owner, I deal with taxes, regulations, insurance costs, and paperwork every day. Most small businesses are not asking for handouts or special programs — they just want clear rules and the freedom to do their job. Too often, new laws are written without understanding how they affect the people who actually have to run a business, meet payroll, and make sure the numbers work at the end of the month. Economic growth comes from hard work, investment, and opportunity — not from more mandates and more bureaucracy. I will support policies that reduce unnecessary regulation, keep taxes predictable, and make Ohio a place where small businesses can succeed without being buried in red tape.