The campaign for Issue 3, the 1-mill Mental Health & Recovery Renewal Levy, will kick-off Monday, September 9, to raise awareness that passing the renewal ensures Portage County will have funds to maintain local treatment services.
The public event is free and starts at 7 p.m. at The Kent Stage, 175 E. Main St., Kent. Voters will be able to pick up information and volunteer for the campaign which is run by the Citizens Committee for Good Mental Health.
The MHR Renewal Levy is not a tax increase, but a renewal of a 1-mill levy first passed in 1983. The property tax rollback is still in effect for renewal issues, so there is no increase.
Levy funds are critical to sustaining local services because the county has lost more than $2.2 million in its annual allocation from the State of Ohio since 2008 which meant 12% fewer adults and 6% fewer children and teens served last year, according to board officials. The 1-mill levy brings in more than half of the board’s local funds.
In 2012 the levy helped fund services that provided care for 220 veterans and their family members; handled more than 41,000 contacts for crises, information and referrals; and provided treatment services to 4,500 adults and 2,700 children and teens in Portage County.
The Mental Health & Recovery Board allocates funds from the local levy to provide mental health and addiction treatment services through four local community agencies. These agencies are Coleman Professional Services, Townhall II, Children’s Advantage and Family & Community Services.
Individuals and families benefit from the levy by feeling safer in their communities because residents can access mental health, addiction and 24-hour crisis services. Students can have the best life possible if problems are taken care of early when they are screened for mental health issues. Because of the levy, every school district in Portage County has these resources available.
For more information about the kick-off event or the MHR Renewal Levy, contact MHRLevy@gmail.com or call 330-673-1756. Voters can also visit www.mhrlevy.org. MHR Levy is also on Facebook and Twitter.
