Election Update: Ohio voters overwhelmingly approve health and social service levies. All but 2 Pass!

Ohio voters in communities across the state overwhelmingly approved renewals, replacements and increases of property tax levies that support health and social services. Few health and social service levy contests were even close, and in many cases 75 percent of voters cast their ballots in favor of the levies. Community Solutions compiled results by examining the final, unofficial 2019 November general election results obtained from each county’s Board of Elections.

Every single one of the levies for children’s services, senior services, public health and mental health and recovery passed. Only two levies failed and they were both additional levies supporting services for people with developmental disabilities, one in Lawrence County and the other in Marion County. However, as the table below shows, several other additional levies and levy increases passed. Notable is the approval of a general health and human service levy in Medina County, which will support children’s services, senior services and the mental health and recovery board. Previous attempts by advocates in Medina County to pass a general human service levy failed.

Local property tax levies are an important source of funding for a variety of health and social service programs in Ohio

The closest vote came in Hocking County, where only 100 votes separated the “yes” from the “no” for the additional 1.5 mill levy for developmental disabilities. According to the final unofficial results, the levy was approved.

Local property tax levies are an important source of funding for a variety of health and social service programs in Ohio. They fund everything from A (abuse and neglect investigations) to Z (Zika virus surveillance). Before the election, Community Solutions identified 42 of Ohio’s 88 counties that had at least one levy for health or social services on the ballot Tuesday. Our list was compiled by looking at sample ballots downloaded from each county’s Board of Elections. Included in our list are levies that support public health, children’s services, senior services, developmental disabilities, mental health and recovery, public hospitals, or health and human services generally.

Final Unofficial Election Results Compiled by The Center for Community Solutions
November 6, 2019

CountyLevy CategoryType of RequestRate RequestedLevy PeriodResult
AllenChildren's ServicesRenewal0.75 mill5 YearsPASS
AshlandHealthRenewal + Increase0.45 mill5 YearsPASS
AshtabulaDevelopmental DisabilitiesRenewal2 mill7 YearsPASS
AshtabulaMental HealthRenewal0.6 mill5 YearsPASS
AthensChildren's ServicesRenewal + Increase2 mill + 0.5 mill10 YearsPASS
AthensHealthRenewal0.3 mill5 YearsPASS
AthensSenior ServicesRenewal0.25 mill5 YearsPASS
ColumbianaHealthRenewal0.2 mill10 YearsPASS
CoshoctonChildren's ServicesRenewal1 mill5 YearsPASS
DefianceHealth DistrictRenewal1.1 mill5 YearsPASS
ErieMental HealthRenewal0.5 mill5 YearsPASS
ErieHealthRenewal0.3 mill5 YearsPASS
FranklinChildren's ServicesRenewal3.1 mill10 YearsPASS
FultonSenior ServicesRenewal + Increase1.6 mill + 0.1 mill5 YearsPASS
GeaugaDevelopmental DisabilitiesRenewal1 millContinuingPASS
GeaugaMental HealthRenewal0.7 mill5 YearsPASS
GuernseySenior ServicesRenewal1 mill5 YearsPASS
HamiltonDevelopmental DisabilitiesRenewal4.13 mill5 YearsPASS
HamiltonFamily Services & Treatment ProgramsRenewal0.34 mill5 YearsPASS
HarrisonChildren's ServicesRenewal0.5 mill5 YearsPASS
HockingDevelopmental DisabilitiesAdditional1.5 mill5 YearsPASS
HolmesCounty HomeRenewal1.5 mill5 YearsPASS
HuronHealthReplacement & Increase0.25 mill5 YearsPASS
JacksonDevelopmental DisabilitiesReplacement & Increase1 mill + 1 millContinuingPASS
JacksonHealthRenewal0.5 mill10 yearsPASS
JeffersonSenior ServicesRenewal1.2 mill5 YearsPASS
LawrenceDevelopmental DisabilitiesAdditional2.5 mill10 YearsFAIL
LickingSenior ServicesReplacement & Increase1.2 mill5 YearsPASS
LucasSenior ServicesRenewal + Increase0.6 mill + 0.15 mill5 YearsPASS
MadisonHealth DistrictRenewal + Increase1 mill5 YearsPASS
MarionDevelopmental DisabilitiesAdditional1.7 mill10 YearsFAIL
MedinaDevelopmental DisabilitiesRenewal1.12 mill10 YearsPASS
MedinaHealth & Human ServicesAdditional1 mill5 YearsPASS
MercerCounty HomeRenewal1 mill5 YearsPASS
MorganSenior ServicesRenewal0.3 mill5 YearsPASS
MuskingumHealthRenewal0.4 mill5 YearsPASS
OttawaMental Health & RecoveryRenewal0.5 mill5 YearsPASS
PauldingDevelopmental DisabilitiesRenewal1 mill5 YearsPASS
PerryCounty HomeRenewal2 mill5 YearsPASS
PortageChildren's ServicesRenewal0.75 mill5 YearsPASS
PrebleChildren’s ServicesRenewal0.6 mill4 YearsPASS
PrebleHealthRenewal0.3 mill5 YearsPASS
PrebleMental Health & RecoveryReplacement0.65 mill10 YearsPASS
PutnamMental Health & RecoveryRenewal0.7 mill5 YearsPASS
SanduskyHealth DistrictRenewal0.5 mill5 YearsPASS
StarkChildren's ServicesReplacement1.4 mill5 YearsPASS
SummitMental Health & RecoveryRenewal2.95 mill6 YearsPASS
TrumbullSenior ServicesRenewal0.75 mill5 YearsPASS
WarrenHealthRenewal0.5 mill10 YearsPASS
WayneChildren's ServicesRenewal0.2 mill5 YearsPASS
WilliamsHealthReplacement1 mill5 YearsPASS
WilliamsSenior ServicesRenewal1 mill5 YearsPASS
WyandotSenior ServicesAdditional1 mill5 YearsPASS

Property tax rates are listed as millage rates, or mills, which represents the amount a taxpayer pays per every $1,000 of a property’s assessed value. The approval of these levies means more resources for pressing community needs.