MRDD board wants voters to renew operating levy

The levy accounts for a significant portion of the agency's annual budget.
SALEM -- Columbiana County's Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Board says it needs voters' help if it's to continue offering its full range of services.
The MRDD is asking for renewal of a 1.5-mill, five-year levy to pay for its operations.
The disabilities board operates the Robert Bycroft School, sheltered workshops, a training center and residential facilities intended to aid nearly 400 children and adults who have mental and physical handicaps.
About $1.1 million annually would be produced by the levy, a major contributor to the MRDD's nearly $6.7 million annual budget, said treasurer William Devon.
The district relies on property taxes for more than half its funding. The balance comes from state and federal sources.
Because the levy is a renewal, taxpayers would see no increase in their current property taxes if they keep the levy in place, Devon said.
Should voters elect not to renew the levy, the disabilities board probably would have to make cuts in its programs, Devon said without elaborating.
The 1.5-mill levy that's up for renewal has a solid track record with voters. It's been in place since 1981.