A 1.8-mill property tax levy for the Delaware County Board of Developmental Disabilities goes before voters Tuesday, Nov. 3. The agency warns a second defeat could trigger layoffs of 96 employees and jeopardize between $16 million and $17 million in annual federal Medicaid matching funds.

The levy would generate roughly $25.4 million a year, according to Delaware County Auditor George Kaitsa. For homeowners, that works out to $63 per year for every $100,000 of market value. The owner of a $500,000 home would pay $315 annually.

The Delaware County Board of Developmental Disabilities (DCBDD) serves more than 2,300 children and adults with developmental disabilities across the county, including residents of Powell, Liberty Township and Orange Township. Its services range from early intervention for children under 3 to job support and daily-living assistance for adults.

The agency's previous 2.0-mill levy, first passed in 2011, expired Dec. 31, 2025. Collections on that old levy continue through Dec. 31, 2026, but the agency says it needs new revenue to maintain operations beyond that point. The proposal failed by 552 votes, with 50.69% voting against it, according to the Columbus Dispatch, which cited official Board of Elections results. The margin was roughly 50.69% against.

Delaware County commissioners voted July 20 to place the smaller 1.8-mill version on the Nov. 3 ballot.

Superintendent Kristine Hodge told Delaware Source the lower millage still collects $28.25 more per $100,000 of valuation than the old levy did, because of newly assessed appraisal rates. The levy is classified as "additional" rather than a renewal for that reason.

"I would like to ask for enough money to obliterate my waiting list, but I'm conscientious of the amount of money it takes to do these sort of things," Hodge said.

The five-year levy would begin with tax year 2026 and first be collected in 2027. It would join an existing 0.4-mill continuous levy that also funds DCBDD operations. The levy would not pay for construction or maintenance of the new county shared-services building that will eventually house the agency.

Levy revenue provides the local match required before DCBDD can draw federal Medicaid dollars. Hodge said that match has grown from about $4 million a year in 2015 to between $16 million and $17 million, driven by the county's population growth and higher state Medicaid waiver rates.

The consequences are specific. Since the May defeat, DCBDD has moved people off its 200-person waiting list only on an emergency basis because it cannot fill open positions, according to the agency's levy information page.

If the levy fails again, the board says it would suspend all new Medicaid waiver enrollment, develop a layoff plan for 96 employees, and eliminate several programs. Those cuts would include the Advocacy Grant, the Accessibility Grant, rent subsidies for adults, psychological evaluation services, the Early Intervention program for children from birth to age 3, and Family Support Services.

The agency has already cut $5.3 million in costs in recent years by relocating to a county-owned building, switching to commercial insurance and partnering with Summit Housing for specialized housing, according to the DCBDD. About 200 local partner providers that serve people eligible for DCBDD services would also feel the effects, the agency said.

The 200-person waiting list remains, and only emergency cases are moving off it.