Council members on the Cuyahoga County Committee of the Whole voted down a proposal to use opioid-settlement dollars to fund 15 additional juvenile probation officers, after a lengthy debate over fiscal sustainability and competing HHS priorities.

Advocates and some council members urged quick action. Bob Staib, a resident of District 9 and member of Greater Cleveland Congregations, told the committee: “Today you will consider an allocation of $1,200,000 for 15 additional probation officers at the juvenile court. I strongly encourage you to approve this allocation.” Leah Winsberg of the county public defender’s office also urged the council to adopt the juvenile court advisory subcommittee’s recommendations and to ‘‘rightsize probation’’ so children can remain in community-based settings.

The council amendment, introduced by staff as Council Amendment No. 2 and sponsored by Councilwoman Simon, Councilman Hauser and Councilman Gallagher, proposed funding the recurring $1.2 million annual cost from opioid-settlement dollars so that corresponding HHS levy dollars could be repurposed. Sponsor Councilman Gallagher described the plan as cost neutral and pressed the urgency of acting on the subcommittee’s recommendations, saying repeatedly that the funding move would not worsen the county’s fiscal position.

Leadership pushed back. Council President Miller and other members of the leadership team said the county faces a fragile fiscal outlook and that using opioid funds to create ongoing staff positions could leave the county without a sustainable long-term funding source when those one-time dollars are exhausted. In opposition, the leadership argued the county’s HHS levy reserves and other commitments left little room for new recurring hiring despite the policy merits of the proposal. As leadership summarized during debate: “We simply cannot afford to add additional amendments.”

The committee called a roll-call vote after extended discussion; the clerk recorded a final tally of 4 in favor and 7 opposed, and the amendment failed. The committee record shows staff told members the opioid fund had a total cash balance cited as approximately $77 million as of Oct. 31, but that much of that total had existing approvals (encumbrances) and that only a substantially smaller portion was effectively available for new, recurring uses.

The failure leaves the juvenile court recommendation unfunded at this stage; the full biennial budget as amended will move to the full County Council for second reading and additional consideration. Proponents said they would continue to seek funding paths that avoid reducing current services they consider essential.