CINCINNATI — When Hamilton County voters cast their ballots on Tuesday, they'll decide whether to increase funding for children's services.
In August, county commissioners voted to place an increased children's services levy on the November ballot, warning that if the measure fails, it could have catastrophic consequences on the budget and the children the county serves.
WATCH: What voters should know about the children's services levy ahead of Tuesday's election.
The current levy, which passed in 2021, generates about $81 million annually and expires at the end of the year. However, many child advocates said that level of funding isn't sustainable.
Hamilton County Jobs and Family Services (JFS) Director Bob Anderson said the proposed levy supports everything from child abuse and neglect investigations to foster care and adoption.
"These are mandated services," Anderson said. "We’re investing in the children in our community.”
Last year, more than 13,000 kids in Hamilton County received services funded by the levy.
Anderson said the cost of providing those services has increased.
“We’ve seen a large increase in placement costs, about 90% since 2021," Anderson said.
The proposed levy would cost homeowners about $121 per year for every $100,000 of home value. The current levy costs homeowners roughly $81 per year for every $100,000 in home value.
However, that increased cost is a tough pill to swallow for some.
Robert Graham visited our Let's Talk event last month and shared his concerns about rising property taxes.
He said he understands the need for children's services but said rising costs are hard to keep up with.
“Now, I have to take extra money out to try to cover this expense, and it just keeps going up, up, up," Graham said.
If the levy fails, the county is still legally required to fund children's services. Anderson said that money could then come from the county's general fund.
“Failure of the levy could affect public safety," Anderson said. "It could affect roads, other services provided by other funding sources.”
For some, access to resources provided by JFS is crucial.
Elizabeth Mangold, who fosters two young girls, said it's helped her family navigate the challenges of foster care.
“We have different resources of connecting with other foster parents," Mangold said. "We have the ability to explore options of taking them to daycare."
She said she worries that a levy failure could limit those options.
Mangold said she believes passing the levy is essential to ensuring children have the best access to the support they need.
“I want people to sit at their dining room table and look at their own children and think, what would they do or not do to provide those same resources and accessibility and inclusion for their own child," Mangold said.
