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Council approves $20,000 amendment to keep local victim advocate through contract year ending Sept. 30, 2025
Summary
The council approved Ordinance 61-2025 to add $20,000 to the city’s contribution to a Lucas County subcontract so the city can retain its local victim advocate, bringing the city’s total payment for the year to $45,000.
City staff told the Sylvania City Council on June 2 that Lucas County intends to transfer its court victim-advocate staffing and that the county asked the city for an additional contribution to retain the current advocate at the Sylvania municipal court through the contract term.
Miss Browning (city administration) told council that the city has contracted with Lucas County for suburban court services since 1997 and that the county requested the city to pay an additional $20,000 to keep the victims’ advocate, Erica Drake Kennard, assigned to Sylvania through the contract year ending Sept. 30, 2025. Browning said the city’s share for the 2024–2025 contract term therefore rises to $45,000 from the usual $25,000.
Browning said the county committed to letting the current advocate remain through the contract’s end if the city provides the additional funds. She told council the county plans to stop operating the program after Sept. 30 and that the city may need to create a permanent position or otherwise fund victim-advocate services thereafter.
Councilmember Westfall asked about the plan after Sept. 30; Browning said she expects to return in October with a proposal for a longer-term approach, which could include creating a city position and pursuing grant funding. Councilmembers noted the advocate’s years of institutional knowledge and the plan to explore internship and mentoring relationships with local social-work programs to build succession capacity.
Ordinance 61-2025 — authorizing the mayor and finance director to execute the amendment and appropriating $20,000 — was introduced and passed as an emergency measure by voice vote at the June 2 meeting.
