Commissioners OK resolution for HCCS levy; proclaim Edward Lee McClain Day

Highland County commissioners David Daniels, Brad Roades and Terry Britton voted Wednesday, July 17 to approve an initial resolution for Highland County Children Services’ third consecutive attempt at passing a tax levy to help offset costs to care for children in the agency’s custody.

Approved by a 3-0 vote was a resolution “declaring it necessary to levy a tax and requesting an estimate from the Highland County Auditor” for Children Services.

According to Highland County Job & Family Services Director Jeremy Ratcliff, the agency will likely place a five-year, 0.9-mill renewal levy on the ballot for the Nov. 5 general election.

As previously reported, a proposed five-year, one-mill replacement levy for the agency failed in the Nov. 7, 2023 general election. A subsequent attempt to return to the previous 0.9 millage, through a levy issue on the March 19 primary ballot, was also voted down.

“I anticipate making the recommendation for a renewal of the levy that expired December 31 of last year,” Ratcliff told commissioners. “This will be the third attempt to ask the voters to help pay for foster care costs. I'll remind everybody again, 100 percent of funds go to pay foster care costs.”

The previous tax levy, which was first approved in November 2013 and renewed by voters in November 2018, was a five-year, .9-mill levy for Children Services placement costs and expired Dec. 31, 2023. The levy the agency was seeking in the primary would have been at the same rate.

At their March 13 meeting, Highland County commissioners voted via resolution to officially endorse the levy on the primary ballot. Among the reasons for the endorsement were the fact that “the total number of children in the agency custody since 2018 has increased 67 percent, and [there has been a] 111-percent increase in placement costs,” as “Highland County spends more than $10,000 a day in foster care costs,” according to the resolution.

Ratcliff told commissioners Wednesday that Children Services is likely to surpass $4 million in child placement costs this year.

“The anticipated revenue from the [levy] renewal is going to be somewhere in the ballpark of $650,000-$720,000, which at $650,000 is about 17 percent of what we need,” Ratcliff said. “Our placement costs last year were $3.8 million. We're on pace for $4.1 million this year.

“I don’t want people in the community to think we asked for more than we needed. The 17 percent, at a renewal, still means that I'm going to need help from this board [of commissioners], if current trends continue with number of children in custody and the amount of money that we have to pay.”

After the second attempt at passing the levy failed in March, Ratcliff said the agency faces a potential shortfall of $900,000 this year.

In other discussion:

• Also during Wednesday’s meeting, commissioners issued a proclamation in honor of Edward Lee McClain Day, which will be recognized Saturday, July 20 in Greenfield.

The proclamation was accepted by McClain Alumni Association President John Wilson and read by a fellow McClain alum, commission president Daniels.

“You've got some milestones that hit the school campus this year with the 100th anniversary of the vocational building,” Daniels said. “We wanted to just take a minute and recognize what's going on over there and the gift that Edward Lee McClain gave to education in Greenfield and in Highland County.”

As reported by Angela Shepherd for Greenfield Exempted Village Schools, “Edward Lee McClain and his wife, Lulu, have been celebrated with the Edward Lee McClain Day every year since the centennial celebration of McClain High School in 2015. This year, the annual event will also include a centennial celebration of the old vocational building and the middle school, which both opened their doors to students in 1924.

“The event is scheduled for July 20 and will begin at 2 p.m. Presenting the history will be Danny Long as Edward Lee McClain. A proclamation from the village of Greenfield will also be read. There will be a special presentation by members of the class of 1974. Photographs by 1987 McClain graduate Parker Pfister will also be on display.

“The event will be held in the high school cafeteria, located in the old vocational building, and following the program, tours will be offered that will include the high school, the old vocational building and the middle school.”

The commissioners’ proclamation reads, in part, “Education is a crucial component of sound citizenship, and Edward Lee McClain and his wife Lulu recognized this and contributed greatly to local education more than 100 years ago.

“Edward Lee McClain High School today is designated as an Ohio Historical Society landmark, and education remains as vital today to our young citizens and the future leaders as it was in 1915. Edward Lee McClain is in its second century of providing a quality education for the Greenfield Exempted Village School District.”

The commissioners “encourage all citizens to recognize Mr. and Mrs. McClain’s lasting contribution to local education,” the proclamation says.

• Also on Wednesday, commissioners held sessions with department heads to discuss 2025 budget numbers and requests throughout the morning and afternoon. The departments on the agenda for Wednesday included the EMA, recorder, airport, treasurer and JFS offices.

• Roades noted that he was also attending a joint Chamber event involving Highland, Clermont and Brown counties Wednesday evening in Clermont County.

Commissioners also made the following approvals, each by a 3-0 vote:

• A budget modification within the 1000 County General Fund in the amount of $5,000 was authorized.

• Commissioners accepted a $625 quote from T&F Signs for a 4x8 sign at the new Ohio State University Extension office.

• Commissioners agreed to submit a letter of support to the Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services, as requested by the Alternatives to Violence Center, for a trauma-informed advocacy project/JAG funding.

• Commissioners accepted a $10,000 quote from BNM Painting for interior painting of the Administration Building.

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