If Hamilton County commissioners place a proposed children's services levy on the Tuesday, November 3 ballot and voters approve it, Montgomery, Blue Ash, and Sycamore Township homeowners would pay about $73 more per year per $100,000 in home value. That's nearly double the current levy's cost.

It won't be the only tax question on the ballot. Sycamore Community Schools is also pursuing a combination current expense and permanent improvement levy for the same date, though the district has not yet released millage or cost details.

What the county is proposing

The county's Tax Levy Review Committee has recommended a 5.57-mill levy that would generate about $144 million per year for children's services, according to WCPO reporting published Tuesday, July 14. The current levy, approved in 2021, brings in roughly $81 million annually and expires at the end of 2026.

The current levy costs homeowners about $81 per year per $100,000 in home value. The proposed replacement would cost about $154 per $100,000.

More than 13,000 children in Hamilton County received levy-funded services last year, including child abuse and neglect investigations, safe shelter, and foster care support.

Why the increase

John Nelson, interim director of Hamilton County Jobs and Family Services, pointed to rising placement costs as the primary driver.

"We have seen the cost of placement, whether it be with kinship, foster, residential treatment or group home, go up significantly over the last five years," Nelson said at the July 15 public hearing.

What happens if it fails

Under Ohio law, the county must fund children's services regardless of whether voters approve a levy. If the measure fails, the county would have to pull from its general fund.

County Administrator Jeff Aluotto said approximately 75% of that general fund supports public safety and judicial operations. Diverting money to cover children's services would put those programs at risk of major cuts, he said.

Commissioner Denise Driehaus called the levy decision one of the most important in her nine-year tenure. All three commissioners acknowledged the increase is a significant ask for homeowners.

What's next

Hamilton County commissioners are scheduled to hold a special meeting Monday, August 3 to decide what levy amount, if any, will appear on the November ballot.

The Sycamore school board approved a resolution of necessity on Tuesday, May 12 and a resolution to proceed on Wednesday, June 10 for its own levy, but has not released specific millage or cost-per-household figures. Families in the district should expect two separate levy questions when they vote November 3.