Chronic disease prevention, staffing support funded through issue
Voters in the Nov. 8 general election will have the choice to determine how the Logan County Health District will be funded in the upcoming years, with a 1-mill operating levy that appears on the ballot.
The 10-year levy would generate more than $1 million per year for operating expenses for the agency. Its passage would also relieve a funding burden that currently rests on the townships and municipalities in the county.
Logan County Health Commissioner Travis Irvan said the levy would cost the owner of a $100,000 property about $35 a year, or approximately $3 per month.
“It’s a very affordable and needed public service for the community,” he said. “The levy would help us improve lives and to champion a safe and healthy community. We would be able to focus on chronic disease prevention, along with data modernization, which would to increase efficiency; and it would help us to retain and recruit the best staff.
“With the levy funding, we would be able to improve the health of our community, while at the same time, allowing for improved roads, bridges and parks, since the townships and municipalities would have these funds restored.”
Megan Bailey, LCHD public information officer and emergency preparedness coordinator, also stressed this LCHD funding change that the levy could help support.
“Community health — it’s not just what we do as an agency that attributes to the health and well-being of county residents. The levy would help support our townships and villages as they also strive to make the community a better place to live.”
Currently, the City of Bellefontaine and each of the villages and the townships in Logan County contribute a combined total of $680,000 in inside millage each year that funds health district operations. Those funds are appropriated through the county budget commission.
Bellefontaine, for example, currently contributes $124,489.71 per year to this health district’s inside millage funding. Also among some of the largest inside millage contributions for the local villages in 2022 include: Russells Point, $17,202.89; West Liberty, $14,927.41; and DeGraff, $8,141.38.
Some of the largest township inside millage contributions this year, calculated by assessed valuation, include: Stokes Township, $94,882.11; Washington Township, $49,258.25; and Richland Township, $43,705.58.
“We are hearing from a number of these local officials that they are struggling with this money coming out of their budgets to fund the health district,” Irvan said.
Stokes Township trustee Steve Terrill said he is supportive of the LCHD levy and appreciates the services that are offered by the agency.
“There’s a community value and individual value in what they are doing, and a lot of work that goes on behind-the-scenes that we do not see,” he said. “They are working to improve community and individual health in a variety of ways, such making sure our water wells are protected and many other services.”
The LCHD has not received operating levy funds since 2008, when a former operating levy expired. In 2007 and 2008, the agency attempted three times to pass a replacement levy, which failed to meet voter approval. Another more recent levy attempt was narrowly defeated in 2015.
Irvan said the levy would enable the health district to become less dependent on grant funding and to better respond to community needs.
Each time a Community Needs Assessment Survey is conducted in Logan County, the health commissioner related that certain chronic conditions routinely come up, including cancer, diabetes and asthma.
“We would love to do more to address these community needs, but right now, we are pinching pennies and are grant dependent. Unless we get a specific grant, we can’t do a lot to address these chronic diseases.
“The grants have been helpful, but they only last for so long. So it can be difficult to build that longevity to retain staff as well.”
In addition, Irvan noted that levy funds would allow the Logan County Health District office, 310 S. Main St., to expand its hours five days a week. The offices currently closes at 1 p.m. Fridays due to staffing levels.
The funding also would enable the health district staff to be more proactive with health education and other programming and services in the community, along with being able to send staff to trainings.