ASHLAND — Dave Ashley said the Ashland County Board of Developmental Disabilities has not asked voters for new money for more than two decades.
Ashley, the board’s superintendent, explained the need for increased funding Thursday during the Ashland County Board of Commissioners’ meeting.
“We draw the same amount of money from when the levies are originally passed and that’s a safeguard for the community, so they’re not constantly taxed without representation, which is a good thing,” Ashley said. “The problem is our costs go up over the years.”
Waiver costs account for the board’s highest expense of its nearly $8 million budget, he said. About $6 million is for Medicaid money.
“That’s what we draw down from the federal government using our local tax dollars to provide the services to our adults that live in and participate in the community,” Ashley said.
Commissioners ultimately approved a resolution declaring the intent to proceed with the renewal of a three-year, 2.10-mill levy — with an increase of 1 mill to constitute a total tax of 3.10 mill — for the Ashland County Board of Developmental Disabilities.
The purpose of the levy is to provide funding for the operation of Dale-Roy School programs and facilities, according to the legislation. It will appear on the November ballot for all registered voters in Ashland County.
Certified by the county auditor, it’s estimated the levy will generate $4,704,229 annually if approved by voters in November. Ashley said the increased millage will bring in roughly $2 million more than what the current levy generates.
With the increased millage, the levy would cost property owners $77 annually per each $100,000 of the county auditor’s market value.
“We’re basically in a $1 million dollar deficit budget at this point because of the 38-percent increase in Medicaid rates, which we didn’t have any control over,” he said. “That was in the last state biennium budget and that’s kind of what pushed us over the cliff.
“We were looking good for another five years and that 38-percent increase was just something … I’ve never seen anybody build a budget around that,” Ashley said.
Early intervention program serving 50 kids per month
The Ashland County Board of Developmental Disabilities acts as a funder, coordinator and/or provider of services and supports to help meet the assessed needs of each individual, according to its website.
Early intervention, school-aged programming, service coordination, adult day programs and residential services are all offered through the board.
Dale-Roy School serves to educate those with disabilities from ages 5 through 21, according to the board.
Placement is determined by an IEP team with a referral from the student’s home school district. All services and supports are individualized to help students become independent community members, it says on the board’s website.
Ashley said the early intervention program has grown rapidly recently.
“Two years ago we were only serving 25 (to) 30 kids a month and (now) we’re serving 50 kids a month and we’re getting 15 to 20 referrals a month,” he told commissioners. “And that’s from birth to age 3, so we’re into that 300 (kids) a year that we’re serving (in the early intervention program).
“We were blessed to get some additional federal grant dollars and we really pumped that program,” Ashley said.
