By JULIE CARLE
BG Independent News
The Wood County Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services Board continues to weigh its options for placing a levy on the ballot.
At the Oct. 24 meeting, Executive Director Amanda Kern updated the board on the options, which changed from information provided in September.
Instead of having the options of placing a new levy, a renewal levy or a renewal levy with an increase in 2027, clarification from Wood County Auditor Matthew Oestreich limited the option in 2027 to only a new levy.
To put a renewal or renewal with an increase on the ballot in 2027 would be a year too soon.
“It was identified that we could only go for a brand new levy next year because of the cycle of our 2018 levy… because of where the collections line up,” Kern said. A renewal or renewal with an increase is not possible until 2028.
A decision may also be affected by what happens in this week’s general election. “Could we wait until November to make a decision so we could take a temperature gauge of how local levies perform, as well as how our (mental health/addiction service) partners across the state perform?” she asked the board.
In addition to levies on the local ballot this month, several other mental health and addiction services boards in Ohio are seeking funds this fall.
Kern is also waiting for information about the taxes collected for the Meta construction site. ”We’re waiting to get an estimate of when and how much we will be making from that development,” she said.
For the Nov. 16 meeting, the board will receive updated information about the November election results, such as the pass/fail rate, the possibility of levy fatigue, and estimates for what each levy type would yield.
With only one option for 2027, the board could test the waters by putting a new levy on the ballot next year. “That gives us more opportunities too; if that levy didn’t pass, we could run a renewal with an increase or a strict renewal the following year,” Kern said, allowing the board to “have this conversation next fall.”
If a new levy would pass, the board would need to decide what to do with the 2018 levy: continue collecting the funds through the end of the levy or expire it early.
“We’re going to be reducing services most likely no matter what [happens in] this cycle,” Kern said. ”So, even if we ran a brand new levy campaign next year, the collection wouldn’t take place until 2029, so we would still have that gap of what we have asked for well above what we’re currently bringing in yearly.”
For the allocation process, which will start in January, programming funds would need to be reduced if programming requests are above the current revenue.
“We either need to continue looking at long term, what’s our plan for reducing our spending and where are we going to cut those from, or how are we going to produce the revenue to support the demand of the programming?” Kern said.
“Looking at a third running levy generating money would be a difficult ask,” said board member Frank McLaughlin. “There really seems to be a lot of high-level things happening with levies in the state of Ohio and around the country. And I think that’s going to continue no matter who ends up as governor. There’s just a lot of questions and a lot of groundswelling. We’re still going to have the same kind of legislators down in Columbus that we have now. It’s a big issue.”
Member Matthew Battiato asked if the agency would continue to spend $1.4 million more than its revenue, contributing to a low fund balance.
“That’s what we’re budgeted to spend this year,” Kern answered.
“That’s what we’re budgeting this year, but I think to show a projection out this many years where we’re going to continue to spend $1.4 million over our revenues is not responsible,” Battiato said. “I think we should spend what our revenues are. If we do that, we’ll have more in our fund balance. I think that means you have to cut services.”
Originally, WCADAMHS was to overspend its revenue because of the Crisis Residential Center, Kern said, explaining a five-year contract was approved before she was named executive director. A couple of years’ obligations were set aside in reserves, but not for the full five years. “Now those funds are coming directly out of our reserve balance, and we’re coming to the end of the life cycle of that grant,” she said.
She emphasized how hard the agency and the providers have worked to reduce spending. “If we decide next year that we want to reduce our budget by $1.4 million, we can do that. That is the elimination of quite a bit of programming. That’s really what we have to look at,” she said.
“That’s why we have to have this conversation now: we’re going into our allocation cycle in two months,” she said. “Is it the conversation that we’re going to hold course and hold programming in hopes that we can generate more revenue? Or is the ask that we need to reduce our spending by $1.4 million so that I can prepare my providers and my team for that process?”
If cuts are made in programming, there is no guarantee the programs can be returned if funding is restored in 2029 or beyond, Kern said.
The board will meet Nov.16 to further discuss levy options, and the December meeting will include an overview of the allocation process for the next fiscal year.
Unison services outlined
Breanna Scarberry, director of Wood County Services at Unison, presented a comprehensive overview of the agency’s continuum of mental health and addiction services.
The presentation covered outpatient services at Perrysburg and Bowling Green locations, jail-based mental health and substance use treatment at Wood County Jail, including medication -assisted treatment, mobile crisis response with peer support co-responders, hospital liaison services, the 24//7 crisis stabilization unit in Bowling Green and Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) for adults with significant mental health needs.
Scarberry also highlighted recent achievements including expanding the ACT team caseload from 20 to over 60 clients while maintaining fidelity standards, achieving Sanctuary Model certification for trauma-informed care, and adding peer support to mobile crisis response.
Sexual violence cases increase in Wood County
Kathy Mull, executive director of The Cocoon, reported the number of domestic violence homicides in Ohio was the second largest number. “We’re continuing to be really concerned about just the lethality for domestic violence survivors,” she said. “We really appreciate your support and continuing help to make sure we’re supporting survivors in our own community so that we can hopefully continue to keep those numbers in our own community really low.”
Locally, the number of sexual violence cases in Wood County has increased 52% from last year, she said. In response to the increase, they completed some internal restructuring to hire a second sexual violence advocate.
Village Court apartments under construction
Construction has started at Village Court, the Harbor-owned apartment complex which was destroyed by fire in June 2024. “It’s been a long time coming,” said Harbor Chief Executive Officer Dustin Watkins. “We’re looking at late spring or early summer for completion and ready for movement.”
