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TLRC flags steep reserve decline for developmental-disabilities levy; committee urges cost-bending and service-priority analysis
Summary
The Tax Levy Review Committee told commissioners that reserves for the developmental-disabilities levy are projected to fall sharply over the five-year cycle and recommended that the county and DDS plan for cost reductions and prioritize mandatory services to avoid emergency cuts.
TLRC warns of sharp reserve drawdown for developmental-disabilities levy; calls for strategic planning. At the July 29 meeting the Tax Levy Review Committee delivered an annual review of the developmental-disabilities (DD) levy, reporting that reserves would fall from roughly $130 million at the start of 2025 to a projected $6 million by the end of the five-year levy period unless costs are brought down or revenues change. TLRC member Eric Landon said the levy faces two main pressures: rising provider costs and a projected increase in the number of Medicaid waivers over the coming five years. The committee noted that the $130 million starting balance was in part inflated by federal COVID-era funds and that the levy is funding mandated services that cannot legally be placed on a waiting list under current state rules. Landon said the committee asked the Developmental Disabilities Services (DDS) agency to identify steps to bend the cost curve and to separate mandated from nonmandated services so commissioners and staff can weigh choices about potential service reductions or program redesigns. He said the committee preferred advance, strategic adjustments to avoid emergency cuts later in the levy cycle. Commissioners asked for additional detail about how many clients receive mandated services versus discretionary services; TLRC said it had requested that breakdown from DDS and did not yet have the number. The committee reported that DDS serves more than 10,430 clients annually (presentation update) and that the levy’s annual revenue is roughly $77.6 million. Because many DD services are mandated, the committee emphasized that choices about cuts would have legal and programmatic consequences for people receiving waivers. The TLRC recommended that DDS pursue cost-reduction strategies that mitigate service loss where possible and asked DDS to provide a clearer accounting of mandated versus nonmandated expenditures.
