Q: How much money will this Human Services Renewal Levy raise annually?

A: The levy currently raises about $58 million annually. Voter approval of Issue 1, the renewal levy in November, will not increase taxes, but it will sustain that existing funding for Human Services. Without the renewal, that $58 million – which is nearly half of our local human services funding – will be lost.

 

Q: How many levies support Montgomery County Human Services?

A: Montgomery County voters support two Human Services levies. Rather than asking voters to support a separate levy for each county agency, Montgomery County consolidated our levies beginning in 1984 to create a more cost-effective and accountable approach. The funds from the Human Services Levies are shared among all the agencies, and each agency is required to make a case for the services they offer. The Human Services Levy Council and the County work together to set priorities and identify the most critical services, recognizing that there’s not enough money to do everything. The Human Services Levies have never failed in their roughly 41-year history, which says a great deal about the value our community places on these services.

 

Q: Which agencies get the Human Services levy money?

A: There are five main agencies that receive the majority of the levy funding: the Montgomery County Board of Developmental Disabilities Services; Montgomery County Children Services; Montgomery County Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services, Public Health – Dayton & Montgomery County, and the Area Agency on Aging. These agencies provide the human services that protect children, public health, and frail elderly – and life-sustaining supports for those with developmental disabilities, drug and alcohol dependence, and physical and behavioral healthcare for people with nowhere else to turn. In addition, the levy funds a complement of other related community-based health and human services programs that support the safety net for vulnerable children, families, and individuals.

 

Q: Which communities and citizens benefit from Human Services?

A: Every community and every citizen across our county benefits from Human Services like public health which provides restaurant inspections, immunizations, air quality, and disaster response. Direct services to individuals – more than 100,000 annually – are also spread across our Montgomery County communities. Residents in Dayton, which has about 25% of the county’s population, receive about 51% of direct services, with the other 49% of direct services going to citizens in more suburban and rural areas throughout the county.

 

Q: What happens if Issue 1, the proposed Human Services renewal levy, fails?

A: If the levy is not renewed by voters, $58 million in local funding for Montgomery County’s critically needed Human Services would disappear. The County would have to cut millions of dollars a year in vital services for thousands of children, frail seniors, residents with developmental disabilities, and residents with addiction, or mental health crises. Almost any child, adult, or family – people like you and me – might need these services one day. In fact, more than 100,000 people – from every community in Montgomery County – rely on these Human Services now.

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Q: When was the levy now up for renewal last voted on? 

A: The levy proposed for renewal this November was last renewed in 2017 with 75% of the vote.

 

Q: What is the millage, and how much do I currently pay for this levy?

A: The November levy, Issue 1, is a renewal of 6.03 mills for Human Services. Voter approval of Issue 1 will not increase your taxes. Property owners currently pay about $9.50 a month per $100,000 of property value.

 

Q: The county auditor’s reappraisal resulted in a higher property value for me. Doesn’t that mean my taxes might increase with this levy renewal?

A: No, this renewal levy will not increase your taxes. Voter approval of a renewal levy allows the taxing district to keep a current levy on the books and collect the same amount as when the original levy was approved by voters – because of the application of a tax reduction factor on the original millage passed by the voters. The millage – the tax rate – for this renewal levy is capped at that original rate and will not increase with renewal.

 

A tax reduction factor’s purpose is to eliminate inflationary revenue growth that would result from increased property values due to reappraisals. Tax reduction factors are applied to voter-approved millage rates for real property, but not to fixed-sum levies (e.g., bond issues and emergency levies) or to inside millage.

 

Q: When was the last time there was a levy increase for Human Services?

A: Voters approved a renewal levy plus a small increase (one mill) in 2014. That levy was approved by 64% of voters – which says a lot about the value our community places on these critical services. Voter approval of the November renewal levy will not increase taxes.

 

Q: Are these levies permanent or temporary?

A: Both of the Human Services levies are temporary, meaning they expire after a fixed period of time and must be approved by county voters in a public election to continue. Each levy runs for eight years, with one expiring at the midpoint of the other. This process ensures accountability – because Montgomery County has to keep coming back to voters for their approval and consent.

 

Q: Who are the volunteers who make up the Human Service Levy Council? How does that work?

A: The Human Services Levy Council is a group of business leaders and community volunteers that includes representation from the United Way, various municipal leaders, and members of Montgomery County’s faith and business communities. The Human Services Levy Council reviews funding and service needs from the five agencies and the other community-based programs that receive the Human Services levy money. The Council asks hard questions about needs, helps set priorities, and makes recommendations about funding levels and levy proposals. Smaller “Community Review Teams” advise the Levy Council. These Review Teams meet with the agencies to see up close how their work makes a difference for people in our community.