Clermont County to Put Three Levies Before Voters on May Ballot

The Clermont County Board of Commissioners voted Jan. 28 to submit three tax levies to the May 5, 2026 primary election.

Developmental disabilities: The board approved submitting a 0.75-mil continuous levy for the county Board of Developmental Disabilities. County staff estimated the levy would generate about $5,335,662 annually assuming constant taxable values. Dan Achi, representing the board, said recent financial forecasting and service demands led the board finance committee to recommend the continuous levy to maintain services, noting some recipients require lifelong supports.

Children's services: Dottie Meyer, director of the Department of Job and Family Services, explained two options for the children's services levy. The department recommended placing a renewal plus a 0.2-mil increase on the ballot to address soaring placement costs. Meyer said placement costs have risen substantially; a renewal plus 0.2 increase would generate roughly $1.4 million additional revenue to help avoid mid-cycle general-fund requests. Commissioners moved and approved resolution 19-26 to place the renewal-plus-increase on the May ballot.

Senior services: Bill DeHaas, CEO of Clermont Senior Services, requested a 1.3-mil renewal levy. He told commissioners the renewal has not been increased in more than 20 years and would produce about $5.8 million annually to fund services for older adults; the board approved placing the renewal on the May ballot.

All three levy submissions were read into the record with statutory citations to the Ohio Revised Code and were adopted by roll-call votes during the session. Commissioners and agency representatives emphasized the levies would fund ongoing operations and programs; residents and advocacy groups in the public comment period urged attention to homelessness and social services needs.