Working families across Ohio face mounting cost-of-living pressures as Democratic gubernatorial candidate Dr. Amy Acton takes her campaign on the road through Fremont, Vermilion, and Columbus, proposing immediate tax cuts and structural reforms to address utility bills, property taxes, and small business struggles.
Tax Relief and Property Tax Cuts in Sandusky County
Stopping at a coffee shop on Front Street in Fremont this week, Acton outlined her economic platform to local residents and business owners, WTOL reported. The candidate focused heavily on housing affordability, promising to introduce an immediate homestead exemption in cooperation with the state legislature to help seniors age in place.
Ohio Gubernatorial candidate Dr. Amy Acton visits coffee shop in Fremont pic.twitter.com/swJMdYO8c8
“We’re working on lowering property taxes through an immediate homestead exemption I’ll be working on with the legislature. I’ve worked with people on both sides of the aisle my entire career, have worked with 5 different governors. So we are going to work immediately to lower the property taxes for folks so they can age in place,” Dr. Amy Acton stated during her Sandusky County stop.
In addition to property tax relief, Acton proposed implementing an earned income tax credit above the federal level alongside a state-level child tax credit during her opening 100 days in office. According to coverage from WTVG, the campaign aims to deliver direct financial relief to working households and ease poverty rates across the state.
Energy Costs and Small Business Pressures in Vermilion
During a roundtable discussion at Hometown Bakery in Vermilion, co-owner Tracy Adkins spoke directly with Acton about escalating operational costs, pointing to utility bills that recently doubled, the Chronicle-Telegram reported. Adkins emphasized the need for stronger state guardrails on rising utility rates to protect both local merchants and residents.
Addressing these concerns, Acton pointed to broader systemic factors driving up energy expenses, including the rapid expansion of data centers across Ohio. “We have a plan to lower electric bills and get our hands around the out-of-control data center situation that we are in,” Acton said during the Vermilion stop, noting that agricultural and small business operators are also absorbing heavy fuel surcharges driven by high diesel prices.
Expanding Capital Access in Columbus
On the near east side of Columbus, Acton visited B&K Smokehouse, a black-owned business operating for 14 years, where owner James Howell described significant supply cost increases, noting that specialty items like turkey ribs have risen to $5.41 per pound.
Energy, data centers and health care costs covered by Acton in Fremont at a business roundtable. https://t.co/Gp2c32FTom
Meeting with entrepreneurs who cited difficulty securing traditional financing, Acton discussed plans to restructure minority business centers and develop micro-loans for early-stage founders who fail to qualify for higher-tier commercial startup capital. The “My Promise for Ohio” tour continues to gather localized policy feedback as the gubernatorial race moves forward.
