Hamilton County Issue 4 — Cincinnati Public Schools: Tax Levy-Additional (current expenses)

What it does

Cincinnati Public Schools — Tax Levy- Additional — 7 mills — current expenses — 5 years

A YES vote means

Cincinnati Public Schools would levy an additional 7 mills for current expenses, for 5 years.

A NO vote means

Cincinnati Public Schools would not levy this additional 7-mill tax.

What it would cost

7 mills for 5 years: $700 a year for every $100,000 of taxable value (a mill is $1 per $1,000). Ohio taxes 35% of a home's appraised value, so that's about $245 per $100,000 of appraised value. Taxable value is after exemptions such as homestead; your tax bill or property appraiser shows yours.

Needed to pass

A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Leaving it blank doesn't count either way.

Left–right lean

Unclear: our AI read of the official summary isn't confident enough (we require 70%) to place this on the left–right spectrum, so we don't. Read the summary and decide for yourself.

The YES and NO lines are SpectrumVote's plain-language reading of the official text above; the official text is what you vote on.

Official text: source

Background

According to Cincinnati Public Schools, the Board of Education rescinded an earned-income tax proposal after residents, families, employees and community leaders raised concerns, and instead placed this five-year, 7-mill property tax levy on the ballot.

The district states the levy would raise about $66,336,723 a year beginning in January 2027 and cost about $245 a year for each $100,000 of home market value, and that CPS has not asked voters for new operating money in 10 years.

The district says it closed a projected gap of nearly $58 million for 2026-27 through staffing reductions, furlough days and other measures, and lists possible cuts without new revenue, including closing or consolidating schools and larger class sizes.

WVXU reported that the board approved the resolution on August 3, 2026 by a 5–1 vote with one abstention: Kendra Mapp voted no, saying she still supported the earned-income tax, and Vice President Kareem Moffett abstained.

Put on the ballot by Cincinnati Board of Education, 5–1 with 1 abstention (per WVXU), August 3, 2026.

From official source 1, official source 2.

In the news

• CPS rescinds income tax levy after backlash. A new property tax will take its place on Nov. ballot · WVXU, 2026-08-03

Next elections here

• 2028 presidential election · Who has filed so far, from FEC filings

Also on Hamilton County ballots

• Hamilton County Issue 5 — North College Hill City School District: Earnings Tax (current expenses)
• Hamilton County Issue 7 — Southwest Local School District: Earnings Tax (current expenses)
• Hamilton County Issue 8 — Sycamore Community City School District: Tax Levy- Additional (current expenses & permanent improvements)
• Hamilton County Issue 9 — Winton Woods City School District: Tax Levy- Additional (current expenses)

All Hamilton County races and measures →

Quick answers

What does a YES vote on Hamilton County Issue 4 mean?

Cincinnati Public Schools would levy an additional 7 mills for current expenses, for 5 years.

What does a NO vote on Hamilton County Issue 4 mean?

Cincinnati Public Schools would not levy this additional 7-mill tax.

How many votes does Hamilton County Issue 4 need to pass?

A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Leaving it blank doesn't count either way.

Should I vote yes or no on Hamilton County Issue 4?

SpectrumVote doesn't endorse anyone or tell you how to vote. Read what a YES and a NO vote each do, and the official text, then decide based on what you want to happen.

When is the vote?

The general election was Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Counts are unofficial until each state certifies its results over the following weeks; your state or county election office has the official results.