Happy Holidays! As many of us are watching our bank accounts dwindle with holiday shopping, the theme of this week’s newsletter is a look at how public agencies spend your money.

Welcome to the Weekly Roundup, where we bring you the top stories from today’s Dayton Daily News and major stories from the past week you may have missed.

This week that includes a look at how one of the largest local tax levies is spent as it’s expected to go on the ballot next year and may ask for more money; an analysis of Central State University’s precarious finances; and the debate over increasing pension contributions for Ohio police officers.

Our mission is to help you understand what’s really going on in the Dayton region. This includes comprehensive coverage of local governments and agencies, hard-hitting investigations, and in-depth analyses of important issues.

Do you have a news tip or an issue you think our reporters should look into? Contact me at Josh.Sweigart@coxinc.com, or you can use our anonymous tipline.

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Human Services Levy

One of the largest single levies in Montgomery County is the Human Services Levy, which funds part of the social safety net for our neighbors in vulnerable situations. With several of the agencies funded by the levy in financial straits as it likely heads to the ballot next year, reporters Sydney Dawes and Samantha Wildow wrote this breakdown of how levy dollars are spent.

• The cost: $137.9 million. That’s what the Human Services Levy is expected to award to local agencies next year.

• Two levies: Technically, it’s split into two eight-year levies, staggered so one is on the ballot every four years. It’s an unusual approach compared to other counties that often have separate levies for each agency.

• The benefit: Funding goes to the front lines of many pressing social issues, including emerging mental health challenges, the addiction epidemic, caring for a growing elderly population and funding public health. Plus, it supports vulnerable populations like adults with developmental disabilities, and children in foster care.

• Developmental Disabilities: The head of Montgomery Count Developmental Disabilities is abruptly resigning, the agency announced last week, as that agency faces yearslong funding challenges that required multiple bailouts from the county. They get $28.9 million in Human Services Levy funding.

• ADAMHS: Montgomery County Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services has taken $16.5 million in voluntary cuts to its Human Services Levy base award over the past several years, but the agency is now asking for a $4.1 million increase.

• Children Services: The allocation to the county Jobs & Family Services Children Services went from $27.5 million in 2022 up to $30.5 million in 2023 and 2024, according to county records. Most of this was to cover the increasing cost of placing children in agency custody.

• Public Health: In 2024, Public Health - Dayton & Montgomery Countyreceived approximately $18 million in Human Services Levy dollars, which is about 39% of its total budget. The agency reported a deficit of $1.4 million.

• List goes on: Go here for the full story, including other agencies funded by the levy and details on how agencies are spending levy funds.

Central State in trouble

The Dayton region’s historically Black public university is an asset to our region, but has had financial problems for years. I wrote this summary nearly two years ago as their now-departed president was under pressure to resign. Here’s where things stand today, from reporter Eileen McClory.

• Fiscal watch: The university is under fiscal watch, which means increased monitoring from the state government and access to additional resources. The university has failed to make monthly payments for things like facilities management and student services.

• Enrollment halved: Central State had a total of 2,719 students this academic year. In the 2021-2022 school year, the university enrolled 6,044 students.

• Online program bust: One major reason for the drop in enrollment is the end of an online program that the university shut down under pressure from the U.S. Department of Education.

• Students not paying: Central State also has a unusual, longstanding policy that students can be on a payment plan for the previous semester’s tuition if they owe less than $3,000 and sign up for classes for the next semester.

• What’s next: The university has a hiring freeze in place until next summer, and several positions have been combined, according to university officials. Read the full story here for reaction from university officials on how they intend to keep Central State running.

Police pension debate

A bill moving through Ohio’s lame duck General Assembly would increase local governments’ contribution to Ohio police officers’ pensions. Reporter Avery Kreemer filed this report on the debate surrounding the proposal.

• The deets: Ohio House Bill 296 would increase the contributions for police officers from 19.5% to 24% over six years, putting it on par with firefighters.

• OP&F in peril: Vandalia Police Chief Kurt Althouse, testifying as president of the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police, told lawmakers that the Ohio Police and Fire Pension Fund is facing long-term solvency issues and pension members have shouldered the burden of stabilizing it.

• Althouse said: “These cuts have included raising the minimum retirement age, limiting cost-of-living adjustments, eliminating comprehensive health care benefits and replacing them with a stipend, and increasing employee contributions from 10% to 12.25%.”

• Cost to taxpayers: The bill is opposed by cities. The Ohio Municipal League testified an “unfunded mandate through this legislation could have the effect of raising the tax burden on local taxpayers who are already struggling with increased costs for housing, transportation, and day-to-day needs.”

• Dayton example: Dayton Mayor Jeffrey Mims Jr. said it would cost the city an additional $2.6 million per year and potentially limit the number of police and firefighters the city can afford to take on.