Ohio counties ask voters to support levies funding child services

By Zamone Perez

Proposed tax levies on the ballot next Tuesday would fund child and family services, and also could serve as a larger indicator on how Ohioans feel about a potential constitutional amendment to end property taxes.

Several Ohio counties will ask voters to approve or deny tax levies that would support county-level agencies. In Guernsey County, voters will be asked to pass an additional $1.3 million levy for an additional ten years to help fund children services.

"Our agency has experienced significant financial pressure," said Nicole Caldwell, executive director of Guernsey County Children Services, "driven almost entirely by the rising cost of placement, particularly placement of children who require congregate care. The amount of days we’re paying for placement hasn’t really increased over the last five, six years. However, the costs of those placements have."

According to data provided by Caldwell, in 2020, the county paid for more than 33,000 placement days for kids, totaling a little more than $3 million. In 2025, the county paid for a little more than 32,000 placement days, but the bill for that totaled more than $5.6 million.

Meanwhile, Clermont County is working to renew a tax levy with a small increase after the measure failed in November by 109 votes.

Dotty Meier, director of Clermont County Job and Family Services, said they're educating members of the public about how children and family services impact the community and other agencies.

"Explaining to individuals how we are good stewards of the money," she said, "and what that money goes for and how important it is, not only to our department and the children and families we serve, but really to the community as a whole."

The tax levy votes come as a movement grows in the Buckeye State to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot this November to abolish property taxes. Supporters of the measure have argued that local government spending is unsustainable and needs to be re-evaluated. But Caldwell said property taxes represent a large portion of the funding her agency receives to do vital work in keeping children safe and reuniting families.

"Without those funds, we would really be in a world of hurt," she said. "Our local property taxes – we’re dependent on those to be able to provide the level of care our kiddos need that are in our custody, to be able to serve the families we’re serving in the community outside of children in custody, and to be able to provide supportive services to those families in reunifying with their children.

Supporters of the constitutional amendment have until July 1 to submit more than 400,000 petitions to get it on the ballot.