Delaware County voters approved a 0.4-mill continuous levy for the Delaware County Board of Developmental Disabilities (DCBDD) Tuesday night.
The .4-mill levy, which the DCBDD said would be required to support the continued growth in the county and the increased demands for service over the next five years, passed with 62.27 percent of the vote (56,395 votes) and will reportedly generate $3.1 million a year. According to the Delaware County Board of Elections, 34,171 residents voted against the levy.
On Tuesday evening, DCBDD Superintendent Kristine Hodge announced at a gathering of staff members and levy campaign committee members that the levy would pass with 62 percent of the vote.
“A family once told me that we are her village,” Hodge said. “That her family would not be where they are today without the services her son has received from the Board. I feel similarly after the passage of this levy. It took a village of committed staff, families, and supportive community members to achieve this success. They spent many hours dedicated to educating voters on the importance of inclusion and supporting everyone in our community. I am grateful and appreciative of the overwhelming support.”
The DCBDD currently has two levies being collected in the county — a 0.56-mill renewal levy, which currently cost a taxpayer of a $100,000 home valuation $16.36 per year; and 2.1-mill renewal levy, which cost a taxpayer $56.22 per year based on a $100,000 home valuation.
Before the election, Hodge said that if the .4-mill levy passed, the DCBDD will allow the .56-mill levy to expire in 2020, which will mean a tax reduction for county taxpayers.
Hodge previously stated that if the levy failed, the DCBDD would have to re-evaluate the programs and services it offers.
Over the next few years, DCBDD will continue to monitor its growth and plan for the future, Hodge stated in a release Tuesday evening.
“We are thankful for the community’s vote of confidence in our incredibly important work,” Hodge said. “The passage of this levy allows us to continue to provide excellent services to the people in our community. We will remain good stewards of the public funds we receive and continue to support people in our community to live fulfilling lives.”
The new levy will take effect in January 2019 and will cost a taxpayer of a $100,000 home valuation $14 per year.