When he spoke to journalists from across Ohio last week, Gov. Mike DeWine took a prudent approach to the idea some have proposed that property taxes should be eliminated in the state.

After all, elected officials who call themselves conservatives have a certain obligation to help their constituents keep as much of their money in their pockets as possible. However, they also have an obligation to lead in a way that serves everyone.

“Those who favor (eliminating property taxes) owe it to the people of the state to say, ‘How is my local police department going to get paid? How are my local fire and EMS, where is the money for that going to come from? Where is the money for my local school going to come from?'” he said.

Whether we like it or not, local and state governments bear enormous responsibility for filling residents’ needs. That doesn’t happen for free.

Still, DeWine believes there has been some relief for those who simply cannot weather steep increases in property taxes.

“I think we’re on a very good pathway at this point,” he said. “I think we got a great start on this. Are there other things that could be done? Yeah, possibly. But I think with what the Legislature has done and the bills that I signed into law, you will no longer see the dramatic spikes that go up like a rocket. That’s the biggest concern people have. There’s more transparency with levies and bond issues people will vote on. There may be an appetite in the Legislature to do more, but I think that what has been done is very, very significant.”

If lawmakers are tempted to do more, they must weigh their decisions knowing they cannot simply eliminate one source of revenue without finding others. For example, would money be brought in by increasing income and sales taxes?

For now, DeWine says he is confident Ohio’s income tax rates are among the reasons the state is attractive to new employers.

Regarding company executives with whom he has had development discussions, he said “There’s not one of them, not one CEO who said, ‘Your income tax is too high. It’s a problem for us. It’s a problem for us. It’s a problem for my executives. It’s a problem for me.’ Not one time.”

When pondering the elimination or drastic reduction of any tax — and lawmakers must do that kind of thinking from time to time — the questions become: What do you replace the money with? Or, what do you cut?

“Ohioans will discern what that really means,” DeWine said, regarding property taxes. “You can’t take an action like that in a vacuum.”

That style of reasonable, cautious leadership may not be exciting, but it is vital. Ohioans already know they will miss it from DeWine when he has finished his term.

But for now, he’s still got time to lead the Buckeye State his way — and, as he well knows, there is still PLENTY of work to do.