Politicians used to work for us. If you’re old enough, you might remember when that was so.

Forty years ago or so, we — the people who elected them to office — were their bosses and most of them seemed to understand and appreciate that. As a result, most were sensitive to the needs and concerns of their constituents because doing so increased their chances of being reelected.

But somewhere along the line, probably as lobbyists and money became more central to that goal than acting on behalf of the communities they represent, many of those we sent to the state capital or to Congress increasingly began to appear less concerned about how we feel and what we want.

Ohio’s ongoing redistricting controversy is a prime example. Voters have let Columbus know their overall feelings about the constant gerrymandering when it comes to local legislative districts, but that doesn’t seem to matter.

But this is less an indictment of elected officials who don’t care what their constituents want than a bit of appreciation for those who are, in fact, doing what they can on behalf of the people they represent.

Perhaps the biggest issue for Ohioans — especially those who are getting along in years and are either already looking at living on a fixed income or will soon be there — is property taxes. The 2023 property tax revaluations stunned many Ohio residents here and across the state. The average property tax increase was about 37 percent in Mahoning and Trumbull counties.

David Thomas, who was then Ashtabula County auditor, was sounding the alarm more than two years ago for his constituents. He couldn’t stop it, of course, but he was right to be worried about those new tax bills.

Thomas, R-Jefferson, is now in the Ohio House of Representatives. So are fellow Reps. Nick Santucci, R-Niles, and Tex Fischer, R-Boardman. All three are still on the case and should be commended for keeping the issue on the front burner. The time for kicking the can down the road on property taxes has long since passed.

The three representatives have introduced and voted on multiple pieces of legislation aimed at easing the load on Ohio homeowners. Although Gov. Mike DeWine issued dozens of line-item vetoes in the most recent state budget — including some of the biggest property tax measures backed by Santucci, Thomas and others — the local representatives and other GOP members in Columbus haven’t given up. They voted to override the biggest of the vetoes, which involved a measure to restrict school districts and local governments from using replacement or emergency levies for property taxes. The vote in the House was 61-28, with all 61 votes coming from Republicans.

DeWine vetoed that provision and others because of concerns about funding for schools and other entities. Afterward, he created the Property Tax Reform Working Group, but the override still happened.

That’s good, because it reminded everyone in Columbus about one of the biggest concerns Ohio voters have right now — the possibility of being priced out of homes they already own outright. If you’re a homeowner of a certain age and now on a fixed income, it’s entirely possible — especially with another revaluation coming in 2026 — that your property taxes could force you out of the home you’ve lived in for decades.

That shouldn’t be happening. People who have done the right thing all of their lives and built homes shouldn’t have to worry that they can no longer afford the American dream of home ownership, especially when they’ve already paid off that investment.

But in Ohio, it seems those of us who think we own our homes have come to the stark realization that we’re really only renting them from the government. That doesn’t seem right. Why should homeowners be forced to cut back on other expenses just to keep a roof over their heads when that roof was paid for long ago? At some point, the entities funded by property taxes should be charged with being more fiscally responsible.

Representatives like Fischer, Santucci and Thomas — and others in the Legislature — deserve some appreciation for refusing to allow the controversy over property taxes to disappear from the radar.

Maybe it seems weird to thank elected officials for doing their jobs, but when so many others don’t seem willing or able to do so, those who are trying to solve real problems should be commended. They know why they were sent to Columbus.

Ed Puskas is editor of the Tribune Chronicle. Reach him at 330-841-1786 or epuskas@tribtoday.com.