Commissioners set public hearing on hospital tax assessment pilot included in state budget

The Greene County Board of Commissioners voted June 26 to set a public hearing for next week on whether to establish a hospital tax assessment under a rural Ohio hospital tax pilot program contemplated in the state budget.

County staff told commissioners the pilot program provision is in the state budget language the county expects to be approved; the county moved to set a public hearing at its next meeting so the board can consider authorizing the assessment for non‑public hospitals in Greene County if the state provision becomes law.

During discussion a commissioner asked explicitly whether the proposal would affect taxpayers. County staff replied that the program would not use local tax dollars and described it as a self‑assessed tax on participating hospital systems that is intended to enhance Medicaid reimbursement rates — a point the board said it would explain further at the public hearing.

The board voted to set the public hearing for its next meeting and directed staff to provide more detail at that hearing, including how the pilot would be implemented locally should the state provision be enacted.