Franklin County commissioners place ADAMH renewal with 0.5‑mill increase on November ballot

The Franklin County Board of Commissioners on July 1 voted to place a 10‑year renewal of the county Alcohol, Drug & Mental Health (ADAMH) levy, including a 0.5‑mill increase, on the Nov. 4, 2025 ballot.

Zach Tularic, director of the Office of Management and Budget and a member of the Human Services Levy Review Committee, told the board the committee recommends a renewal of 2.85 mills with a 0.5‑mill increase that would commence in 2026 and be first collected in 2027. Tularic said that, under the proposal, the tax would be $68.91 per year for a homeowner with a $100,000 valuation — an increase of $17.50.

"With the successful passage of the levy at the ballot, ADAMH would be able to maintain mental‑health and substance‑use disorder services for children and adults in Franklin County," Tularic said.

CEO Clark Jones of ADAMH described the levy as essential to sustain services and to fully fund the county's new crisis care center. Jones said the current levy funds more than 75% of ADAMH’s budget and supports more than 50 community‑based behavioral‑health providers across the county. She said the proposed increase translates to about $1.46 per month for every $100,000 of home valuation and framed the request as necessary to preserve inpatient observation capacity, school prevention programs, vocational programming and housing supports for people with severe and persistent mental illness.

Jones told commissioners that if the levy fails the crisis center’s observation unit would be reduced by one‑third, inpatient capacity would not open as planned, and a range of prevention and housing services would face cuts.

"This levy is essential to sustain vital mental health and addiction services for every Franklin County resident regardless of their ability to pay," Jones said.

Anthony Perry, ADAMH’s chief financial officer, said the agency modeled multiple scenarios before arriving at the recommendation to seek a 0.5‑mill increase, down from an earlier internal request for a 0.75‑mill increase. Perry said the reduction reflects efforts to balance community needs with taxpayer concerns while still fully funding the crisis center and supporting existing providers.

Commissioners pressed ADAMH staff on the consequences of a failed levy and on community engagement plans. ADAMH said it will form a community advisory group, use website and social media outreach, meet with stakeholder groups such as NAMI and hold events to educate voters between now and November.

The board moved to adopt Resolution 50425, which requests the county auditor to certify valuation and levy revenue so the question may be placed on the ballot. The motion passed unanimously.

Resolution outcome: Resolution 50425 adopted, board recorded unanimous yes votes.

Next steps: The levy question will appear on the Nov. 4, 2025 ballot if certified by the county auditor; the levy would begin collection in 2026 if approved by voters.