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County staff say state formula cut Morrow County funding; Delaware Dwellings planning local supportive-housing project
Summary
County staff told commissioners that recent state funding formula changes reduced Morrow County's allocation because of three weighted factors; staff said services will be maintained this year and that Delaware Dwellings plans to develop supportive housing locally, adding roughly 8–10 units.
During the July 9 meeting a county staff member identified as Deanna briefed the Board of Commissioners on state funding changes and local housing plans. Deanna said the earliest the county could place a renewal or replacement of its current 1.5-mill levy on the ballot is 2026 and that the state funding formula recalculation led to a reduced allocation for the county.
Deanna said three weighted factors — the poverty rate measured by federal poverty guidelines, the share of households with fewer than one vehicle, and the uninsured rate — had a significant negative impact on the county's state allocation. "We were a little bit ahead of this with this year's allocations. You won't see any changes at all in the services that are provided in fiscal year 26," Deanna said, adding that staff had right-sized contracts and asked providers not to request new funding for the coming year.
Deanna said Delaware Dwellings plans to undertake a supportive-housing project in the county; she noted the organization already operates seven permanent supportive-housing sites in 'Coral County' and said the planned local project would add about 8–10 staffed supportive housing spaces. She also announced a free July 31 training from 9 a.m. to noon by Michael Gillette on ethical decision-making for allocations under scarcity and encouraged attendance.
Deanna framed the actions as preparatory: staff have been planning for two years, expect a status-quo service level for FY2026 and are pursuing community partnership agreements to supplement shrinking state revenue. The board did not take separate formal action on the funding-formula briefing during the session.
What happens next: County staff will implement the budgeting approach described and pursue community partnerships; the levy question, if advanced by the board, could appear on the ballot in 2026 per Deanna's remarks.
