U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-Cincinnati)’s campaign blasted local Democrats over their “baseless and juvenile” attack on Schmidt over property taxes.

The Clermont Co. Democratic Party accused Schmidt of not paying her fair share of taxes on a parcel of land in Clermont County as a partial owner in a press release recently. The party said it sounds “fishy” that Schmidt paid $97 in taxes last year on land that Schmidt’s U.S. House financial disclosure form lists as valued at more than $500,000.

However, Schmidt spokesperson Bruce Pfaff said the land – adjacent to a drugstore and grocery store – is agricultural (with soybeans growing on it today) and as such is subject to different tax requirements under the state’s Current Agricultural Use Value Assessment program. Pfaff said the program requires owners to pay taxes “only on what it’s being used for as opposed to what it could be sold for,” which is far less than its retail value.

Pfaff said Democrats are desperately launching attacks on Schmidt, who will “trounce” Dr. Vic Wulsin (D-Indian Hill) on Election Day.

“This is a red herring from the Democrats because they have the weakest candidate in the country,” he said of Wulsin, adding that their attacks are “baseless and juvenile” and lower public discourse.