Commissioners hear proposal on PVADAMH levy
Lead Summary
By
Rory Ryan-hcpress@cinci.rr.com
Penny Dehner, associate director of the Paint Valley Alcohol, Drug Addiction & Mental Health Services (ADAMH) Board, met with Highland County commissioners Jeff Duncan and Terry Britton at the March 8 board of commissioners' meeting.
Commission President Shane Wilkin was on vacation.
Dehner provided an overview of the ADAMH services and informed commissioners that her board will be seeking an additional levy on the May 2 ballot.
Dehner said the levy will be a 1.0-mill levy for 10 years. If passed, the additional funding would focus on a new and improved detox program, crisis services, mental health and addiction services and preventive education.
An additional levy is necessary for a number of reasons, according to a news release from Dehner.
“The opiate epidemic has long-reaching and long-lasting effects on children and families struggling with addiction,” Dehner said. “We are seeing far too many children experiencing increased mental health needs due to exposure to the opiate epidemic. The levy is needed to build health, wellness and recovery for all families in our communities.”
If passed, the levy would generate $4.6 million annually, and the cost to a homeowner on a $100,000 home is approximately $35 per year, Dehner said.
The ADAMH Board serves a five-county area, which includes Fayette, Highland, Pickaway, Pike and Ross counties.
Last November, the levy failed in all five counties. Highland County voters rejected the levy with an unofficial 10,635 votes against the levy and 5,873 votes for the levy.
“The need did not go away, just because the voters didn’t approve the previous levy,” Board chair Jack Clark of Circleville said. “The need is still there."
More information on the levy or ADAMH funded services may be obtained by calling the Board office at (740) 773-2283 or visiting the agency’s website at www.pvadamh.org.
* * *
• In other business, Commissioner Duncan expressed concern for those families affected by last week's tornadoes and severe storms.
"I spoke with Jim Lyle from the EMA (Emergency Management Agency) on Monday, and he was still out assessing all the damages," Duncan said. "He's trying to put an estimate on damages in the county. Our thoughts and prayers are with those families who were affected."
* * *
• Commissioner Britton said the board will have additional discussions next week on a proposed change in House Bill 49, the Ohio Budget Bill, which includes language that a sentence of incarceration for a felony five (F5) offense cannot be served in prison unless one of the following apply:
• Offense is a offense of violence;
• Offense is a sex offense;
• Offense has a mandatory sentence;
• Offender has a prior conviction for felony offense of violence; or
• Offender has a prior conviction for felony sex offense.
Sentences for all other fifth-degree felonies are to be served in one of following facilities:
• County jail;
• Multi-county jail;
• Municipal jail;
• Municipal-county jail;
• Multi-county-municipal jail or workhouse;
• Community alternative sentencing center;
• District community alternative sentencing center; or
• Community-based correctional facility.
According to Highland County Common Pleas Court Judge Rocky Coss, "This proposal is not good policy and will not work. Counties simply do not have the resources to deal with the increased number of offenders that will have to be dealt with locally, and the money that the state is providing to counties is simply a political Band-Aid, not a solution."
"This could be pretty detrimental to the county budget," Britton said.
Highland County Sheriff Donnie Barrera, who attended Wednesday's meeting, agreed. "It will be pretty hard on us and hard on all 88 counties," Barrera said.
Currently, the Highland County Justice Center has 83 inmates – 11 more than its intended capacity of 72.
For more on House Bill 49, go to: http://www.highlandcountypress.com/Content/Opinions/Opinion/Article/Judge-Coss-addresses-proposed-amendment-in-Ohio-House-Bill-49-and-its-effect-on-the-local-level/4/22/37307.
* * *
Resolutions
Commissioners approved the following resolutions, each by a 2-0 vote:
• A request from Probation for a modification within Probation from Specialized Staff to Advances Out in the amount of $5,000 and an advance from Probation, Advances Out to Prosecutorial Diversion in the amount of $5,000.
• A request from the Engineer to revise AEP Repair Fund Budget, Contracts & Repairs to $17,531.60.
• A resolution for additional appropriation from unappropriated funds to Buildings & Grounds – TEC, Contracts Repairs in the amount of $6,885.
• A resolution to revise the budget RFL Sewer Capital Improvement, Contracts & Repairs, in the amount of $500,000.
• A resolution to revise the budget BOE Capital Improvement, Other Expenses in the amount of $12,600.
• A request from Common Pleas to revise the budget Smart Ohio Pilot Grant, Other Expenses, in the amount of $8.22.
• A request from the Highland County Department of Job & Family Services for a reimbursement of funds from CSEA, Administrative Account to Public Assistance in the amount of $18,440 for February shared cost distribution.
• A request from the Highland County Department of Job & Family Services to revise the Public Assistance Budget, Other Expense in the amount of $341,618.54.
• A request from the Highland County Department of Job & Family Services to revise WIA, Other Expense in the amount of $99,220.28.
Commissioners and Auditor Bill Fawley also met in executive session with the audit firm of Millhuff-Stang of Portsmouth.
Commission President Shane Wilkin was on vacation.
Dehner provided an overview of the ADAMH services and informed commissioners that her board will be seeking an additional levy on the May 2 ballot.
Dehner said the levy will be a 1.0-mill levy for 10 years. If passed, the additional funding would focus on a new and improved detox program, crisis services, mental health and addiction services and preventive education.
An additional levy is necessary for a number of reasons, according to a news release from Dehner.
“The opiate epidemic has long-reaching and long-lasting effects on children and families struggling with addiction,” Dehner said. “We are seeing far too many children experiencing increased mental health needs due to exposure to the opiate epidemic. The levy is needed to build health, wellness and recovery for all families in our communities.”
If passed, the levy would generate $4.6 million annually, and the cost to a homeowner on a $100,000 home is approximately $35 per year, Dehner said.
The ADAMH Board serves a five-county area, which includes Fayette, Highland, Pickaway, Pike and Ross counties.
Last November, the levy failed in all five counties. Highland County voters rejected the levy with an unofficial 10,635 votes against the levy and 5,873 votes for the levy.
“The need did not go away, just because the voters didn’t approve the previous levy,” Board chair Jack Clark of Circleville said. “The need is still there."
More information on the levy or ADAMH funded services may be obtained by calling the Board office at (740) 773-2283 or visiting the agency’s website at www.pvadamh.org.
* * *
• In other business, Commissioner Duncan expressed concern for those families affected by last week's tornadoes and severe storms.
"I spoke with Jim Lyle from the EMA (Emergency Management Agency) on Monday, and he was still out assessing all the damages," Duncan said. "He's trying to put an estimate on damages in the county. Our thoughts and prayers are with those families who were affected."
* * *
• Commissioner Britton said the board will have additional discussions next week on a proposed change in House Bill 49, the Ohio Budget Bill, which includes language that a sentence of incarceration for a felony five (F5) offense cannot be served in prison unless one of the following apply:
• Offense is a offense of violence;
• Offense is a sex offense;
• Offense has a mandatory sentence;
• Offender has a prior conviction for felony offense of violence; or
• Offender has a prior conviction for felony sex offense.
Sentences for all other fifth-degree felonies are to be served in one of following facilities:
• County jail;
• Multi-county jail;
• Municipal jail;
• Municipal-county jail;
• Multi-county-municipal jail or workhouse;
• Community alternative sentencing center;
• District community alternative sentencing center; or
• Community-based correctional facility.
According to Highland County Common Pleas Court Judge Rocky Coss, "This proposal is not good policy and will not work. Counties simply do not have the resources to deal with the increased number of offenders that will have to be dealt with locally, and the money that the state is providing to counties is simply a political Band-Aid, not a solution."
"This could be pretty detrimental to the county budget," Britton said.
Highland County Sheriff Donnie Barrera, who attended Wednesday's meeting, agreed. "It will be pretty hard on us and hard on all 88 counties," Barrera said.
Currently, the Highland County Justice Center has 83 inmates – 11 more than its intended capacity of 72.
For more on House Bill 49, go to: http://www.highlandcountypress.com/Content/Opinions/Opinion/Article/Judge-Coss-addresses-proposed-amendment-in-Ohio-House-Bill-49-and-its-effect-on-the-local-level/4/22/37307.
* * *
Resolutions
Commissioners approved the following resolutions, each by a 2-0 vote:
• A request from Probation for a modification within Probation from Specialized Staff to Advances Out in the amount of $5,000 and an advance from Probation, Advances Out to Prosecutorial Diversion in the amount of $5,000.
• A request from the Engineer to revise AEP Repair Fund Budget, Contracts & Repairs to $17,531.60.
• A resolution for additional appropriation from unappropriated funds to Buildings & Grounds – TEC, Contracts Repairs in the amount of $6,885.
• A resolution to revise the budget RFL Sewer Capital Improvement, Contracts & Repairs, in the amount of $500,000.
• A resolution to revise the budget BOE Capital Improvement, Other Expenses in the amount of $12,600.
• A request from Common Pleas to revise the budget Smart Ohio Pilot Grant, Other Expenses, in the amount of $8.22.
• A request from the Highland County Department of Job & Family Services for a reimbursement of funds from CSEA, Administrative Account to Public Assistance in the amount of $18,440 for February shared cost distribution.
• A request from the Highland County Department of Job & Family Services to revise the Public Assistance Budget, Other Expense in the amount of $341,618.54.
• A request from the Highland County Department of Job & Family Services to revise WIA, Other Expense in the amount of $99,220.28.
Commissioners and Auditor Bill Fawley also met in executive session with the audit firm of Millhuff-Stang of Portsmouth.