The Summit County Developmental Disabilities (DD) Board told the county council on Nov. 4 that the local DD system faces large, statewide-driven cost increases that have pushed the board toward an unsustainable deficit in the first year of its current levy cycle.

"The $93,000,000 operating budget that you have before you is about an 8% total increase from our current budget," Lisa Kamlowski, Summit DD executive director, told council. Kamlowski said the bulk of the growth stems from higher payment rates for services and permanent enhancements the state made during COVID that increased service costs countywide.

Kamlowski said Medicaid match costs for the county rose from approximately $26 million in 2022 (the year before the levy) to about $45 million in 2025. Summit DD has requested and received a $4.6 million appropriation earlier this year to partially offset increased Medicaid costs but still expects to end the year with nearly a $12 million deficit.

To address the shortfall, the board has issued layoff notices for 29 staff positions effective March 1, 2026, and reduced certain community-facing contracts and supports; the board estimates those actions will generate about $3 million in annual savings beginning in 2026 and accumulate roughly $20 million over the life of the levy. Kamlowski said the board attempted to minimize family-facing impacts and emphasized that levy timing and statewide changes make the situation precarious.

Kamlowski told council the county currently serves about 5,200 individuals and typically sees roughly 100 net new individuals seeking services each year; the DD board said it will continue to monitor revenues and may need further strategic planning ahead of the 2029 levy. Council members thanked staff and noted Summit County's strong levy-passage history as context for future conversations.

The board asked council to approve the proposed operating budget and related appropriations; staff said they will continue working with county partners on longer-term solutions and to preserve core community supports.