UNION TOWNSHIP, ROSS COUNTY — Homeowners in Union Township will see relief on their 2026 property tax bills after township trustees voted Wednesday night to reduce the township’s inside mill property tax rates by 30%.
Trustees Bryan Smith, Wes Bowles, and Bob Whitten approved the measure unanimously, citing the need to offset the financial impact of Ross County’s state-mandated property revaluation scheduled for next year. The decision follows several months of discussion and coordination with Ross County Auditor Jeff Lehner.
Without the rollback, trustees said residents could have faced an “unvoted tax hike” tied to the countywide revaluation.
“We’ve been closely monitoring this issue since May,” the trustees said in a joint statement. “We felt a responsibility to act promptly on behalf of our residents, and as taxpayers ourselves we understand the strain that rising property tax bills are causing. We do not support unnecessary, unvoted tax measures, so tonight we decided to roll back our portion of next year’s tax bills to offset impacts of the state’s mandates.”
Auditor Lehner praised the township’s move, noting it sets an example for other local governments.
“I’m thankful for the Union Township Trustees’ engagement and leadership on this issue as an early adopter of lower tax rates for next year,” Lehner said. “Dialogue with other Ross County jurisdictions’ governing bodies is ongoing and I’m optimistic we’ll see many more of these announcements over the next few months.”
The adjustment only applies to the portion of property taxes controlled directly by Union Township, not the entire Ross County tax bill.
