Vickie Warnock (left) listens in as Jeremy Ratcliff (right) describes the new levy.
Jacob Clary | The Times-Gazette
A proposed tax levy for Children’s Services was approved for an estimate by the Highland County Board of Commissioners at their weekly Wednesday morning meeting.
“I anticipate making a recommendation for a renewal of the levy that expired December 31 of last year,” Jeremy Ratcliff, the director of Highland County Jobs and Family Services, said. “This will be the third attempt to ask about help pay for foster care costs. I would remind everybody you get 100 percent of the funds go to pay foster care costs.”
Ratcliff also said he anticipates the revenue from the levy to be “somewhere” in the ballpark of $650,000 to $720,000. He said this is about 17 percent of what the department needs to fully fund its costs. He then said its placement costs in 2023 were $3.8 million, with them on pace for $4.1 million this year.
He said the “reason” he brings up the percentage specifically is because he doesn’t want people in the community to think the organization asks for more than it needs.
“The 17 percent out of renewal,” he said. “It still means that I’m gonna need help from this board if current trends continue with number of children in custody and the amount of money that we have to pay.”
Ratcliff said the levy they plan on running is a decrease from the one they have looked to get. Despite that decrease, Ratcliff also said the organization thinks this levy is its “best chance” to renew the levy for another five years.
In other news, Brad Roades, vice-chairman of the board of commissioners, said that he planned on attending an event run by the combination of Highland, Brown and Clermont counties. He said this upcoming version would be the first and that Clermont County would be discussing and trying to figure out how to get more people into rural areas. Roades also said that in another couple of months, Highland County would be hosting one.
The board of commissioners approved a quote from T&F Signs for a sign at the new OSU Extension Building for $625.
The board of commissioners also approved a quote from BNM Painting and Remodeling for $10,000 for painting at the Highland County Administration Building.
The board of commissions signed one letter of support, that being to the Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services for a Trauma-Informed Advocacy Project/JAG Funding.
There were two resolutions approved by the board of commissioners, which are as follows:
*Res. No. 24-118 is a declaration to say it’s necessary to levy a tax and the request for an estimate from the Highland County Auditor – Children’s Services.
*Res. No. 24-119 is an authorization for a budget modification within the 1000 County General Fund in the amount of $5,000.
Reach Jacob Clary at 937-402-2570.
