Delaware — The Delaware County Board of Developmental Disabilities (DCBDD) will continue to operate its current programs with the same staff level after voters approved an additional 1.8-mill levy for the board.
The levy received 57.57% of support from voters which represents a total of 65,762 votes, according to final, unofficial totals from the Delaware County Board of Elections. Meanwhile, 48,477 voters, or 42.43%, rejected the levy.
“We want to thank the voters of Delaware County for their continued trust and support. Passage of this levy means stability for essential services that individuals with developmental disabilities and their families rely on every day,” Hodge wrote in an email to Delaware Source.
“Delaware County continues to show that it values inclusion, dignity, and opportunity for all residents; we don’t take that lightly. We are committed to being responsible stewards of these public dollars, ensuring transparency, accountability, and real-world results,” she said.
“Tonight’s outcome allows us to continue building a stronger, more inclusive community for everyone.”
The five-year levy now joins the board’s existing 0.4-mill continuous levy in funding DCBDD operations. It does not fund the construction or maintenance of the new county shared-services building that will eventually house the DCBDD.
Delaware County Auditor George Kaitsa estimates the levy will generate approximately $25.4 million annually, which amounts to $63 for each $100,000 of the county auditor’s market value.
That means the owner of a home valued at $500,000 will pay $315 per year. The levy will be first due in 2027.
DCBDD Superintendent Kristine Hodge said the levy is classified as additional because it will collect $28.25 more than the previous levy did for every $100,0000 of valuation.
The approved levy comes on the heels of a narrowly-rejected renewal and increase levy of 2.7 mills in the primary election, with votes against the levy at 50.72%.
Why the levy was crucial for DCBDD’s operations
The levy revenue will fund core DCBDD services, which support over 2,400 children and adults with developmental disabilities and their families throughout Delaware County, according to DCBDD’s website.
Those core services include:
- Early intervention identifies children under the age of 3 with developmental delays and disabilities and connects them with a team of professionals to meet their needs.
- Family support provides services to eligible individuals ages 3 and above who are not enrolled in an Ohio Medicaid administered waiver program, which lets eligible individuals receive care at home or in the community instead of in an institution. Services can include specialized liquid nutrition, specialized therapy, specialized equipment, specialized camps/classes, home modifications and assistive technology.
- Service and support administration assigns a service and support administrator to individuals ages 3 and above who are eligible for DCBDD services and have ongoing Medicaid waiver needs. Administrators provide assistance with daily living needs, therapeutic needs, learning new skills, connection to resources and social groups and support to find and maintain a job.
Levy revenue also provides the local share required by law that has to be paid before the board can access matching federal Medicaid dollars, according to the DCBDD’s website.
That Medicaid match money is DCBDD’s largest budget driver, according to the website.
Hodge said in 2015, that waiver match was about $4 million per year; now its between $16-17 million as a result of extreme growth in the county and an increase in the Medicaid waiver rates at the state level.
She said the board chose to ask for a 1.8-mill additional levy rather than the previously-collected 2.0-mill levy because with newly-assessed appraisal rates, this levy will collect more than the previous levy.
“But in all honestly, that’s going to just sustain services, not add new ones,” Hodge said.
“I would like to ask for enough money to obliterate my waiting list, but I’m conscientious of the amount of money it takes to do these sort of things.”
Had the levy failed, Hodge previously said there would be no new medicaid enrollment, implementation of an employee layoff plan and elimination of several programs.
