Headed to November ballot

Voters to decide renewal levy for Lorain County Mental Health, Addiction and Recovery Services

The Board of County Commissioners unanimously voted July 20 to place a five-year renewal of an existing levy funding the Mental Health, Addiction and Recovery Services (MHARS) Board of Lorain County on the November 2022 ballot.

Voters last approved, with 74 percent support, a five-year levy in 2018 to ensure that families have mental health crisis options in emergencies, treatment and prevention programs for children and adults, and addiction recovery services.

The MHARS renewal levy is critical to ensure cost effective prevention and intervention programs continue, according to a news release.

The levy request on the November ballot, won’t raise taxes, but it will continue to promote stronger, safer communities by funding programs essential to effective mental health and addiction prevention, treatment and recovery services, the news release stated.

“Nearly 16,000 Lorain County residents received mental health and recovery services across our health network in 2020,” said Michael Doud, executive director. “The levy, which won’t raise taxes, continues to care for individuals in Lorain County and their families in times of crisis.”

With the construction of the new Lorain County Crisis Receiving Center — a 32-bed facility for those experiencing mental health and substance use disorder crises — the levy renewal will be an essential part of strengthening the crisis continuum in the county, the release said.

“This levy will not raise taxes,” said Dan Urbin, chair of the MHARS Board of Directors. “In 2021, there were 147 overdose deaths.

“The number of overdoses from January to May 2022 has surpassed the number of overdoses from the same time period last year, January to May 2021. These dollars are essential to address mental health and the addiction epidemic in Lorain County.”

The levy will be assigned an issue number in September.

Oct. 11 is the voter registration deadline for the Nov. 8 election.

About the levy

The Mental Health, Addiction and Recovery Services levy is a renewal of a $3.6 million, 0.6-mill, 5-year levy.

It is less than $1.25 a month ($14.95 a year) per $100,000 of property value.

This levy, which won’t raise taxes, is one of the smallest in Lorain County, the release said.

State and federal funding for mental health and addiction treatment has remained relatively flat.

In Lorain County, local support typically provides 59 percent of the annual operating budget that makes services possible, according to the release.

Passage of the renewal levy will continue valued mental health and addiction services to sustain a safe, vibrant community, the release said.

This levy, which won’t raise taxes, is one of the smallest in Lorain County, the release said.