MOUNT VERNON — On Thursday, the Knox County commissioners approved placing a 1.1-mill levy on the Nov. 7 ballot to support Knox County Children Services.
Commissioner Bill Pursel said the levy revenue will help make up the difference in the cost of placement and children services.
“We’ve had to put a significant amount in from the general fund to keep them somewhat [current],” explained Commissioner Thom Collier.
Knox County JFS is paying more than $3 million a year — $250,000 a month — in care and placement costs.
Commissioner Teresa Bemiller said children have increasing problems and are becoming more difficult to place.
“Their problems are becoming more severe and complex,” she said. “We received an email that the state has started working to figure out how to accommodate them. Kids are actually sleeping on the floor in JFS facilities because the wait list is really long, or they don’t have the space to handle their problems.”
“Our numbers [of youth] are down. They have done everything they can to to adopt children out. But the costs are going up,” County Administrator Jason Booth added.
911
The 911 operations center handled 3,720 calls in June: 1,915 911 calls, 6,168 non-emergency, and 3,360 outgoing. Calls included 180 disturbances, 34 domestic violence, six drug overdoses, 14 drug-related, 26 mental, and 31 attempt/threat suicide.
Additional actions
The commissioners took the following actions between July 11 and Aug. 3:
•Awarded the bid to renovate the courthouse exterior and cupola to Mid State Contractors. The engineer’s revised estimate is $850,000; Mid State’s bid was $791,136. Quality Masonry submitted a bid of $934,100; Modern Builders submitted a bid of $1,200,000. County Administrator Jason Booth will hold a pre-construction meeting next week.
•Accepted the 2022 annual report for the Knox County Probate-Juvenile Court
•Awarded $500,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds to The Salvation Army to expand child care services
•Approved a proclamation dedicating Gate No. 6 at the Knox County Fair in honor of the late Larry Schafer
•Approved a letter of support for the Heart of Ohio Trail Board and the Rails to Trails Conservancy to install — through the William G. Pomeroy Foundation — a historic marker at 114 N. Clayton St. in Centerburg
•Approved a contract of $49,999.99 with RLS & Associates for fixed-route transit planning services
•Proclaimed August as Child Support Awareness Month
