Voters will see a slightly smaller tax request than previously announced after the Mental Health Drug and Alcohol Services Board of Logan and Champaign Counties approved a new measure at its quarterly meeting Tuesday.
The new 0.7-mill replacement levy, which will be placed on the November ballots in the two counties, would generate $1.4 million a year.
The board’s current 0.7-mill levy, which expires at the end of 2016, generates about $1 million. The board in November voted to place a renewal of that levy on the November ballot paired with a 0.3-mill addition that would have generated a total of $1.64 million.
Executive Director David Higgins said Champaign County Health District is also running a levy, and asking for an additional amount might not sell well with voters at this time.
In other action, the board approved $11,650 in board funding for the Renewed Strength Recovery House at Kingscreek. Pastor Mark Hackworth has established a home for four individuals dealing with substance abuse or other social issues to live at the former Salem Township School. The matching grant would allow the ministry to convert a room to additional living space at a total cost of $23,300.
Mr. Higgins said the faith-based recovery house has received grant funding through the MHDAS board previously and said the current project does not duplicate the previous request.
Jon Brown of Residential Administrators reported the board is prepared to finalize the purchase of a 216 E. Chillicothe Ave., Bellefontaine, home for a sober living house that would accommodate up to four women. The closing date has tentatively been set for Feb. 29, he said.
Meanwhile, Mr. Brown said he and board staff have been trying to identify an appropriate site for a similar men’s recovery house in Urbana, where city residents have expressed concerns over previous sites. The board has until the end of June to identify a location or lose funding made available by the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services.
The board approved a measure to name Residential Administrators as the owner and operators of the recovery houses.
In personnel matters, Mr. Higgins announced the board will look to fill one full-time vacancy. The director’s annual evaluation was also presented, on which Mr. Higgins received an average score of 4.78 on a 1 to 5 scale in eight areas measured by 19 evaluators. He and all other staff members were granted 3 percent cost of living raises.
The board meets again at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 17.
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