Property taxes may not end  with a bang, but with a ballot measure and a billion-dollar whimper, as more states move away from reforming and instead aim to kill the tax that funds schools and many public services. For decades, state lawmakers have tinkered around the edges of property tax reform , capping increases, compressing rates, and carving out relief for the most burdened of homeowners. But in 2026, at least five state legislatures are throwing that playbook out and moving to eliminate