Seven Northeast Ohio counties are asking voters to approve renewal or replacement levies supporting mental health and addiction recovery services. These local boards provide crisis intervention, alcohol and drug addiction recovery programs, mental health treatment, and community support for adults and youth.
In Summit County, voters are considering Issue 1, which includes a renewal and increase for the County of Summit ADM Board. The levy would increase from 2.95 mills to 3.45 mills for the next six years, expected to generate $46,539,037 in revenue annually, costing property owners $75 per $100,000 of assessed property value. Executive director Aimee Wade explained that the board “had to spend more than it got for several years to ramp-up services during the opioid epidemic and COVID-19 Pandemic” and that spending is now increasing as service volumes and costs rise. Ashland County is seeking a replacement levy—its first in 15 years—to fund a school community liaison program, additional crisis services, and competitive salaries for counselors and social workers, expected to generate $1,920,528 annually.
Other counties on the November ballot include Columbiana County, which is renewing its levy to serve those without insurance or with inadequate coverage; Huron County, renewing support for 50-70 different counseling, therapy, and peer support services; Richland County, renewing its levy to sustain current services; and Tuscarawas County, approving a replacement levy that would raise millage from .34 to .50, increasing costs for property owners from $12 to $18 per $100,000 of assessed value.
Recovery participants testified about the impact of these services. Rachel Browne, who struggled with drugs and alcohol since age 16, said she received free housing through a recovery house funded by ADM and was able to focus on recovery. Another resident noted that addiction “ravages our community and causes otherwise upstanding individuals to not be able to function as productive members of society,” emphasizing that board support helps reach homeless and mentally ill individuals.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.ideastream.org/government-politics/2025-10-13/northeast-ohio-counties-make-the-case-for-mental-health-and-addiction-services-funding