Homeowners in Montgomery, Blue Ash and Sycamore Township could face two property tax levies on the November 3 ballot, and Hamilton County commissioners are set to decide Monday which children's services option to put before voters.

The three-member Board of Commissioners will vote Monday, Aug. 3, on a levy to fund Hamilton County Job and Family Services, with a hard deadline of 4 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 5, to certify the measure for the fall ballot. A 6.95-mill Sycamore Community Schools levy is already confirmed for the same election.

As reported July 18, the recommended levy option would nearly double the children's services rate for local homeowners, raising costs from about $81 to $154 per year per $100,000 in home value.

The options on the table

The county's Tax Levy Review Committee determined JFS needs $144 million annually to maintain mandated services for children in foster care and protective custody. The current levy raises roughly $83 million a year.

The committee recommends a 6.57-mill levy that would generate the full $144 million. But commissioners have signaled they won't go that high.

Commissioner Denise Driehaus said she supports a 5.61-mill, four-year levy that would provide roughly half the needed funding. That option would require one-time revenue sources, new funding streams, or further cuts to close the gap.

"I want to support a levy that is as low as we can go for the taxpayers, but still funds basic mandated services to keep kids safe and to help them thrive in this community," Driehaus told WVXU.

Reece's alternative rejected

Commission Vice President Alicia Reece proposed using the county's stadium sales tax fund or borrowing against future sales tax revenues to reduce the burden on homeowners. County attorneys and bond counsel concluded both approaches would violate state law, citing bond indenture requirements that lock the fund to stadium debt until it is retired.

Reece disputes that conclusion. At the Thursday, July 30, commission meeting, she said the county finds "creative" solutions for stadium financing but puts the burden on homeowners when it comes to children.

Reece left a staff meeting Tuesday, July 28, after a confrontation with county staff and suggested Thursday that the county should hire new bond counsel.

Why costs are rising

Foster care placement costs are up 90% since 2022, according to Local 12, and the number of children needing foster care has risen 19% over the same period. JFS has already cut $36 million from its budget. Ohio ranks second-lowest among states in its share of child welfare funding, contributing 18% compared to a 42% national average, according to the Tax Levy Review Committee.

What's next

Commissioners will vote Monday, Aug. 3. If they miss the Wednesday, Aug. 5, deadline, no children's services levy will appear on the November ballot. Five public hearings have already been held, and residents can contact the commissioners' office before Monday's vote.