Commissioners eyeing levies

The Lorain County Commissioners voted July 11 to send millage for two possible levies to the County Auditor’s Office for valuation.

First, the commissioners are seeking valuation on what five-year 0.40-mill and 0.80-mill levies for the county drug and crime lab would be valued at.

County Administrator James Cordes said the lab is understaffed and needs a permanent home but there’s a “very small” levy supporting.

“With the things that are afflicting our community today it’s going to be hard to advance the work of the crime lab without some additional funding,” he said. “It doesn’t need a lot, but there are days where we can’t conduct our business correctly because, say we’re doing a urinalysis, we need a male and a female observer available, but we only have three people in the whole crime lab.”

Cordes said the lab has been moved from several location and could be housed in the former home of Adult Probation on Broad Street in Elyria with the proper funding.

The commissioners also are seeking valuation on five-year 0.1- mill, 0.2-mill, 0.25-mill and 0.3-mill levies to fund Recovery One, the rehab facility the county plans to put in the former Golden Acres retirement home.

Commissioner Matt Lundy expounded on the need for the facility.

“We feel this is a very serious problem in our county and it needs to be addressed sooner than later,” he said.

Cordes clarified that these valuations do not necessarily mean the commissioners will be putting these levies on the ballot.

“These are placeholders so we can have further discussion,” he said. “There will be presentations on both of these topics coming in the near future and at that point you can make a decision to move forward, not to move forward. And if you do move forward you have decision on what level of ask that you’re going to make of the community.”

The commissioners also approved the award of three community incentive grants through the solid waste district.

Camden Township will receive $2,921.04 to purchase recycling guides, tables, stands, folders, towels, binders and toilet paper. Huntington Township will receive $1,523.91 for recycling incentive gift cards, staff assistance at the recycling site and advertising. Wellington Village will receive $8,286.68 to purchase a play structure and advertising.