Next year, Hamilton County homeowners will see a property tax rebate funded at the full 30%, meaning they will receive a $106.97 credit per $100,000 of home value on their tax bills. This is a significant increase from the 12.4% rebate set for 2024.
The rebate is part of a promise made when voters approved a half-cent sales tax in 1996 to fund the construction and maintenance of Great American Ball Park and Paycor Stadium. Officials committed to returning 30% of the sales tax revenue to homeowners as property tax rebates, though this hasn’t consistently happened since 2011 due to budgetary constraints.
Last year, a formula was adopted to help determine the annual property tax rebate (PTR) while keeping the fund solvent. Based on this formula, county administrators initially recommended an 18.8% rebate for 2025, which would have equaled $67.50 per $100,000 of property value. However, the commission voted 2-1 to approve the full 30% rebate.
Commission President Alicia Reece, who was the lone vote against the formula last year, insisted on the full 30% this time, citing the burden on homeowners facing rising property values. Commissioner Stephanie Summerow Dumas, who also voted for the full rebate, expressed concern about the financial strain on residents due to significant tax increases from property value appraisals. However, she cautioned that this decision was a one-time policy exception, stressing that continuing at 30% would cause the fund to become insolvent by 2028.
Commission Vice President Denise Driehaus, who supported the administration’s formula recommendation, warned that funding the full 30% rebate would require borrowing from the General Fund, which could jeopardize essential services like 911 operations, sheriff deputies, the court system, and community programs.