MCBDD provides services to those who need a helping hand

There are a number of issues on the Nov. 8 ballot that will challenge people to weigh the costs versus the implications and in some cases it could be a very close call.

We’ll be wrestling ourselves in future days with some of those issues.

But today, when we’re running the first of our pre-election editorial endorsements, we decided to pick an easy one: the 2-mill renewal levy for the Mahoning County Board of Developmental Disabilities.

It is a straight renewal of a levy that has been in place since 1992, providing financial support for the important work that MCBDD does to make life easier and the prospects brighter for some of our most challenged citizens, young and old.

The MCBDD board, made up of citizen members and its administrators have already had to do more with less as state and federal funds are being cut back. Still this levy is vital because it provides the MCBDD with the ability to leverage those state and federal funds that are available. Because it provide roughly 25 percent of the budget, its loss would cripple an agency that has a history of providing quality services to its clientele and their families.

The 2-mill levy costs the owner of a home with a $100,000 market value about $70 per year.

With that $70, the average homeowner will know that they are helping to provide services to 1,300 vulnerable individuals.

There are adult services for those over 22, including employment opportunities at the Bev and Meshel MASCO workshops. There are education services for school-age children and young adults ages 6-22. There are transportation services that involve buses and vans traveling 800,000 miles a year, a 55+ retirement center, a habitation program at the Centre at Javit Court and supported-living services.

Well-defined mission

The MCBDD defines its mission as supporting individuals in determining their life goals and to aggressively work toward that attainment; to work with families, guardians and natural supports to access or provide whatever assistance or support is needed in any life area.

The agency’s Leonard Kirtz school is named for a local pioneer in advocating to provide services and dignity for individuals with mental retardation and developmental disabilities.

That tradition of excellence lives on, with MCBDD receiving a five-year accreditation award in June 2010 from the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities. It is the highest recognition of quality programming awarded by the state.

So, in this busy election season, here’s one issue that Mahoning County voters can decide on early and easily. Vote yes on Issue 4, the 2-mill renewal for the Mahoning County Board of Developmental Disabilities. As the board’s promotional literature says, “Someone you know needs us.” And the peace of mind in knowing that you are doing the right thing for the children and adults supported by MCBDD far outweighs the cost of less than 20 cents a day.