What does the levy cost, by the numbers?
  • The Mental Health & Recovery Levy is a RENEWAL of a 0.6 mill (a mill is 1/10 of a cent or 1/1000 of a dollar) property tax, to be assessed beginning in 2022 and collected beginning in 2023, for five years. Because it is a renewal of an existing levy, it is collected at a reduced rate, closer to 0.43 mill. With all reductions and rollbacks, a home valued at $100,000 would have an annual tax liability of $13.38. Median (half above, half below) home values are slightly higher than $100,000, so a typical homeowner in Miami County would be assessed $20.26; Darke County $16.50; and Shelby County $19.48 per year. The levy generates about $2.3 million per year for the Tri-County Board of Recovery & Mental Health Services.
Is this a new tax?
  • It is not a new tax. It is a renewal of an existing tax last approved by voters in 2016. That 5-year approval ends December 31, 2021. There is a long history of strong support for the Tri-County Mental Health & Recovery Levy. In 2016, voters overwhelmingly approved the measure, with about 2 out 3 votes in favor. In 2006 and 2011, voters approved by similar margins.
What will the ballot language say?What is the money from the levy used for?
  • Local funds ensure the availability of mental health and recovery services to all residents of Miami, Darke, and Shelby Counties—regardless of ability to pay—through a network of provider agencies. Services include (but are not limited to): counseling; 24-hour crisis services; access to hospitals and detox beds; medication-assisted treatment; supportive housing; criminal justice programs; suicide prevention; peer support; education and advocacy; prevention and wellness; community coalitions; and more.
Isn’t everything paid for by insurance or Medicaid?
  • While many clinical services are paid by private insurance or Medicaid, many other services are not. We refer to these services as what happens the “Other 23 Hours” in a day when a person is not in a clinical setting, that are critical to well-being and sustained recovery. As an example, recovery homes are very expensive to operate and staff 24/7, and are not reimbursed by insurance.
Are services available locally?
  • A wide range of mental health and recovery services are available in Miami, Darke, and Shelby Counties. The Tri-County Board is constantly working with local providers to close gaps in the “continuum of care.” Some highly-specialized services such as residential detox may be provided in adjacent counties, but residents of Miami, Darke, and Shelby Counties have access to them through local providers and with the support of Tri-County Board funding.
How can I get answers to more questions?