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County developmental‑disabilities boards warn new budget language could let commissions cut voter‑approved levies
Summary
The Ohio Association of County Boards of Developmental Disabilities told senators a provision in the budget would give county budget commissions overly broad authority to reduce millage tied to voter‑approved levies, risking long‑term services for people with disabilities.
Representatives of the Ohio Association of County Boards of Developmental Disabilities (OACB) urged the Senate to remove or amend a budget provision that they said would allow county budget commissions to reduce millage on voter‑approved levies — potentially jeopardizing the reserve accounts county DD boards rely on to fund lifetime supports.
Adam Herman, testifying for OACB, said new language in the House substitute (sections 5705.32–35 as presented) would permit county budget commissions to reduce millage for levies other than debt levies if they find it "reasonably necessary or prudent to avoid unnecessary, excessive, or unneeded property tax collections." Herman said the terms are vague and that including county board reserves in commission calculations would threaten funds set aside by voters to support lifelong services.
OACB asked that the provision be removed entirely or that an exemption be adopted to protect entities statutorily required to provide the state's Medicaid match (county DD boards). Herman said county boards cover roughly half of the state's Medicaid match for developmental‑disability services and provided fiscal figures the witness said showed county contributions in SFY2025 of about $567 million, rising in subsequent years.
Senators asked clarifying procedural questions and OACB offered an amendment (noted as 3079‑1 in testimony) to exempt statutorily obligated local entities from the new trimming authority if the legislature chose to retain the language. Committee members did not act on the issue during the hearing but OACB called for more stakeholder consultation before moving forward.
The testimony flagged a potential conflict between local voter‑approved tax decisions and proposed administrative authority at the county level, and the witness urged restoring amendment SC 2924 or removing the budget language creating the broad commission authority.
