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ADM board seeks renewal and modest increase to support county behavioral‑health services; levy would supplement Medicaid and grants
Summary
ADM board leaders presented Issue 1, a renewal with a modest millage increase to replace a 2007 levy and to restore purchasing power lost to inflation. Board officials said the extra revenue would flow mainly to service providers, substance‑use programs, prevention and step‑down facilities; 93% of new funds would be distributed to agencies.
Officials from the Summit County Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health (ADM) Board presented a request to renew the county behavioral-health levy with a modest increase (described in the presentation as a raise to 3.45 mills) to support mental-health and substance-use services across Summit County.
Dr. Doug Smith, chief clinical officer / medical director for the ADM board, described the countywide system as highly coordinated and noted a range of programs that the levy supports or supplements: crisis response, the CIT (crisis intervention team) training for law enforcement, the Summit County outreach or "scout" team, assisted outpatient treatment (AOT) and step‑down facilities for individuals discharged from inpatient care. The board also cited reductions in overdose deaths and an expanded continuum of care as outcomes of county programs.
"We have not asked for any change since our 2007 levy," Dr. Smith said. He presented figures showing the ADM board’s current levy revenue (reported in the hearing as roughly $36 million annually) and described the proposed increase as raising about $10 million more per year. The presentation said roughly 93% of levy revenues are routed to community agencies and programs, not retained for administrative overhead.
Asked about capital needs, presenters described several facilities in development: a step-down facility on the grounds of a hospital (the Fred Freese House) with a target opening date in early 2026, and a replacement community wellness/crisis center to modernize and expand services currently provided behind the former St. Thomas Hospital. Presenters said capital improvements (buildings) are not typically reimbursed by Medicaid and that levy dollars are a necessary local revenue source for such projects.
Supporters stressed the levy’s role as a payer of last resort for services not covered by Medicaid or other grants, and the board emphasized prevention and workforce development alongside treatment funding. Board presenters provided materials and asked the council for public endorsement and outreach ahead of the November ballot.
Why it matters: The levy is the county’s primary local funding source for behavioral‑health services. Supporters said without a renewal and modest increase, programs such as mobile outreach, crisis stabilization and certain capital projects would be at risk.
What’s next: The ADM board will ask voters to approve Issue 1 in November. Council members and presenters urged community outreach and noted that the board obtained consultant-supported data showing year-over-year reductions in certain metrics such as overdose deaths.
Quotes: "We have not asked for any change since our 2007 levy," Dr. Doug Smith, ADM board. "About 93% goes directly to the agencies," Dr. Smith on distribution of revenues.
Ending note: ADM board leaders asked the council to consider endorsements and to help the board publicize the request to voters.
