MAHONING COUNTY Mental health replacement levy would provide $3.2 million

The mental health levy would cost the owner of a $100,000 home an additional $15 a year.
By WILLIAM K. ALCORN
VINDICATOR HEALTH WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- A vote for the Mahoning County Mental Health Board's 0.85-mill replacement levy is a vote to help the people among those least able to fend for themselves, the county's indigent mentally ill, said Ronald A. Marian, mental health board executive director.
If passed, the 0.85-mill, five-year levy, on the general election ballot Tuesday, would generate about $3.2 million a year. This compares with the $1.8 million produced by the current levy, which is due to expire at the end of 2004.
Originally, Marian said, the levy was 1 mill, which raised $1.8 million. Over the years the millage was reduced as property values increased to raise the same amount of money. The current rate is 0.35 mills. But, with cuts in state and federal support and increased costs, it does not raise enough money to keep services at their current levels, he said.
Projected cost
If passed, the replacement levy would cost the owner of a $50,000 home about 64 cents a month, or about $15 a year for a $100,000 home, Marian said.
The mental health director said levy money is used as matching funds used to bring millions of dollars in state and federal grants to the area.
For example, the Mental Health Court, under the auspices of Youngstown Municipal Judge A. Douglas Jr., is funded with $150,000 in state money over a three-year period.
Treatment option
The court provides an option of treatment over jail for nonviolent offenders. Eighteen percent of inmates at the county jail are candidates for this option, Marian said. Sentences are held in abeyance, unless the offenders don't obey the court's directives. Then they do jail time, Marian said.
Likewise, a $20,000 state grant funds the suicide prevention program at Help Hotline. Marian said there were 38 suicides in 2000 and 28 suicides in 2001 in the county.
Mahoning County Mental Health also provides for mentally ill people who need short-term, in-patient care. The board has $125,000 contracts for beds at both Forum Health and Humility of Mary Health Partners.
Major sources of mental health board 2002 revenues include: Ohio Department of Mental Health, $5.9 million; local levies, $2.7 million; Medicaid, $4.1 million; federal grants, $454,000; state grants, $476,000.
Passage of the levy is crucial to maintain services such as crisis management, counseling, case management and medications, which are provided by 22 contract agencies to manage the disease of mental illness, Marian said.
alcorn@vindy.com