10/15/2025

House Bill 421

Lead Sponsors: Representative Gary Click and Representative David Thomas

Status: Introduced (August 25, 2025)

Description: The bill would create a procedure through which the electors of a taxing jurisdiction that levies inside millage could reduce the rate levied by vote.
 
If a petition is signed by a number of qualified electors equal to at least 15% of the total number of votes cast in the jurisdiction in the latest gubernatorial election, the question will be posed at the next general election at least 120 days after the petition is filed. When the petition is filed, the taxing authority and the county budget commission are prohibited from changing the inside millage rate.
 
If the vote is successful, the rate for the jurisdiction's inside millage levy will be set at that proposed in the ballot issue on January 1 of the following year. If an entity's inside millage rate is reduced by petition, the budget commission is prohibited from reallocating mills reduced by the petition to other entities.
 
At any time after a successful vote reduced an entity's inside millage rate, the taxing authority may, with a 2/3s vote, propose by resolution to increase the inside millage rate by up to the amount a prior successful petition vote reduced it. The issue would go to the next general election ballot at least 90 days after the resolution was certified to the board of elections

CCAO Position: No position (as of October 2025)