Delaware County seeks disabilities services levy that lowers taxes
It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, a reduction in taxes can be a welcome surprise for taxpayers.
Residents in Delaware County may see this happen if voters approve a 2mill levy for the Delaware County Board of Developmental Disabilities.
A 2-mill, 5-year renewal levy would generate $15 million annually and cost property owners $47.77 per $100,000 of property value. That’s $2.39 less than they’re already paying.
And by restructuring existing levies, the board says there will be a total net savings of more than $15 per $100,000 of property valuation.
Levies for seniors or special needs groups often fall under the radar compared to school or public safety levies, which can be far more expensive, said Greg Lawson, a research fellow at the Buckeye Institute, a conservative public policy think tank.
“People don’t really pay much attention to the organizations, unlike with schools,” he said.
But a levy with a reduction can be eye-catching and sometimes raise questions about why.
“Hardly ever do we ever have to pay less,” he said, adding that people may ask, “What are you right-sizing, and were you bloated before?”
“One of the overarching problems we have in Ohio is that you’re constantly voting on levies without having a total sense of what you’re spending,” Lawson said.
The disabilities board doesn’t like that uncertainty either.
A stable source of revenue is the goal, knowing that the number of clients served — about 2,500 — has been growing steadily at about 3% per year, said Kristine Hodge, superintendent of the disabilities board.
Hodge said her board conducts, by statute, fiscal forecasts every five years to see how revenues are going compared to projected growth in the community and the need for services.
Delaware County, fueled by growth along its southern border with Franklin County, again led the state in the latest 10-year U.S. Census count, up 22.9% to 214,124 residents. Many of these families are younger and may need future services, Hodge said.
The restructuring of levies began five years ago, due in part to this growth.
In 2018, 62% of voters approved a 0.4-mill permanent levy that has generated about $3.1 million annually and costs property owners $14 per $100,000 of home value in new taxes.
Passage of that levy allowed a 0.56-mill levy to expire at the end of this year. The expiring levy costs property owners about $13 per $100,000 of valuation based on current rates.
The new levy, if approved, would replace a 2.1-mill levy that has cost owners about $50 per $100,000 based on current rates. It would begin collecting on Jan. 1 and expire in 2026.
The combined effect of eliminating the 0.56-mill levy altogether and reducing the 5-year levy by 0.1 mills will save taxpayers $15.77 annually, said Anne Flanery, spokeswoman for the disabilities board.
One reason this reduction is possible is that the board’s funds had grown amid the levy shuffling, driven by the larger tax base and influx of CARES Act funds for pandemic relief.
Delaware County Auditor George Kaitsa keeps watch on agency forecasts amid levy requests and becomes concerned if fund balances exceed his benchmark of about 75% of the next year’s appropriations, he said.
Earlier this year, the balance had grown to 105%, Hodge said.
“If we had continued with 2.1 (mills), we would be at 89% of our fund balance,” she said. At 2-mills, that fund-to-appropriations ratio will drop to 74% in 2026 and reduce further in future years.
“I’ve worked closely with them, and we’re supportive of this action,” Kaitsa said.
The board said it spends about $10 million annually in local funds to leverage almost $35 million of services to its clients based on Medicare reimbursements. About 16% of its funding is for administrative and operational costs; 84% percent directly benefits clients.
About three of every four clients are school age or younger, Hodge said. And it costs about $2,145 per person to serve them.
Adults, however, are far more costly, the average being $18,248 per person. That’s mostly due to more complicated needs, including housing, transportation and medical and home health care.
“For every single person, we help them to maximize their potential and live their most fulfilling lives,” Hodge said. “We are fortunate that our citizens in Delaware County support our levies. We are very grateful for that support.
“It’s very important that our taxpayers trust us and know that we’re serving the community’s needs to the best of our ability.” dnarciso@dispatch.com @Deannarciso