A renewal of the current levy that brings in about $13 million won’t raise taxes, Butler County Children Services Executive Director Bill Morrison said.
Here are three things you need to know about the levy renewal question:
1. How much do I pay?
The Butler County auditor says the owner of a $100,000 home currently pays about $61 a year.
You can click here to use this tool on the auditor's website to see exactly how much your bill currently is.
Butler County spent $24 million on Children Services last year, investigating abuse claims, removing children when necessary and reuniting families when possible.
2. What happens if the levy fails?
In Butler County, the levy provides about 55 percent of the agency’s overall budget with an additional 10 percent of the agency’s money coming from the state and 35 percent from federal sources. Without the matching local dollars the levy provides, most federal funding would not be accessible, Children Services officials said.
If voters do not renew the levy, the agency will be in the negative almost $5 million by 2019 and $60 million by 2023, according to projections provided by Barb Fabelo, Butler County Job and Family Services finance director.
3. When did I last vote for the levy?
The current levy was approved by 61 percent of voters in 2012 and it expires next year.
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