Dan Otkin, superintendent of the Clermont County Board of Developmental Disabilities, asked the Board of County Commissioners on Jan. 12 to place a 0.75-mill continuous levy on the May 2026 primary ballot to maintain local services and preserve access to federal and state Medicaid waiver funding.

Otkin told commissioners the county board serves roughly 2,000 people, about 600 of whom are on Medicaid waivers, and that more than 100 people remain on a waiting list. He said local levy proceeds are the county match that enables the county to draw down federal and state Medicaid dollars that pay for in‑home and community supports.

"We serve roughly about 2,000 individuals," Otkin said during the presentation. He outlined services including early intervention, a specialized school program, residential and day supports, behavior‑support services and provider partnerships across the county.

The superintendent showed historical trends that, he said, have increased local costs: waiver enrollment has risen over the past decade, the county contributes an estimated local match of about $0.36 on the dollar to draw down Medicaid funds, and a 2023 state rate increase raised provider payments and local match obligations. Otkin said those changes produced a marked rise in the county's local match expense and that the levy request is intended to stabilize funding.

Otkin said the board resolved to request a 0.75-mill continuous levy that "would generate roughly $5.36 million" and estimated the levy cost at about $26.25 per $100,000 of appraised property value. During follow-up questions, county officials and staff said the board's total revenue is roughly in the $19–20 million range and identified personnel costs (about $11 million projected) and local waiver‑match expenses (projected about $8 million) as the largest budget drivers.

Otkin also described the county's provider oversight: providers must be state‑certified and undergo compliance reviews at least every three years; the county's investigations unit can request special reviews from state partners if concerns arise.

The commissioners did not vote on placing the levy during the Jan. 12 meeting; Otkin asked only that the board place the question before voters in May. Next steps will be for the commissioners to consider the formal request and, if approved, set the levy for the May 20, 2026 primary ballot.