Auglaize health district seeks replacement levy
Apr. 29—WAPAKONETA — Voters in Auglaize County will be asked to approve an .85-mill, 10-year replacement levy for the Auglaize County Board of Health during this year's May 6 election. The levy, if approved, will fill a void created when the district's current 1-mill levy expires.
The .85-mill levy sought by the health board — although on its face a reduction in tax collections — actually will ask residents to dig just a little deeper into their wallets. County Health Commissioner Oliver Fisher said the health district has been operating for the past 30 years on renewals of an existing 1995 levy. A replacement levy, instead of another renewal, will allow the district to capitalize on property values that have risen substantially in the past three decades.
The renewal levy, Fisher said, will assess property owners at a rate of $29.75 per $100,000 of valuation. That marks a slight increase from current assessments.
Fisher is sympathetic to families that are already on edge due to a host of financial uncertainties but said the health board's first increase in 30 years is needed to keep the district's diverse public health outreach and prevention programs afloat.
"When we put a levy renewal before voters 10 years ago we had great support. Nearly 75% of the votes cast were in favor. I realize it's a different economic climate now and that some families are struggling, but at the same time we need to get caught up with current (real estate) evaluations," Fisher said. "I'm hoping the voters will support us again."
The replacement levy, if approved, will generate nearly $1.4 million annually to support a wide range of services to the more than 45,000 residents of Auglaize County. A sample of offerings and programs made possible through the health department include:
—Community outreach efforts, including providing education for health professionals, participating in community health assessment efforts and health improvement plans.
—WIC, or Women, Infants and Children, which provides supplemental food, nutrition education, and breastfeeding support to low-income women with children up to age 5.
—Help Me Grow, a free program for expectant parents and their children up to the age of 3.
—Child car seat classes and child seat giveaways.
—Cribs for Kids program, which provides Pack-and-Play cribs (based on income eligibility) so infants have a safe place to sleep.
—Emergency preparedness, which offers training for public health leaders on how to respond during an emergency.
"People are sometimes surprised at what all we do," said Fisher. "We do a lot behind the scenes but when people need us, we're there."
A five-member board of health directs the district's policies. The health commissioner said a "team effort" is crucial to the levy's passage.
"We have a levy committee that's working hard to get the word out. We hope the community will support us," Fisher said. "If the levy fails, we may have to look at some program cuts ... which is something we really don't want to do."
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