Every day throughout Summit County, residents learn that their family, friends and neighbors are struggling with addiction and mental health issues.
Stigmas often prevent people from getting the treatment they need. That’s where the County of Summit Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health (ADM) Board offers help.
On the Nov. 4 general election ballot, Summit County residents are being asked to vote on Issue 1, a proposed tax levy in support of the ADM Board.
Signal Akron spoke with Dr. Doug Smith, Summit ADM’s chief clinical officer, about Issue 1.
How much will this tax levy cost Summit County homeowners?
Issue 1 is a 2.95-mill renewal and a 0.5-mill increase – for a total of 3.45 mills.
If the levy passes, it would cost $75 per year for six years – about $6.25 per month – for the owner of a home appraised at $100,000. The levy would collect $46.5 million annually to maintain and expand support for local services.
What does the Summit ADM Board do?
Summit ADM plans, funds, monitors and evaluates treatment, prevention and support services for people with substance-use and mental health disorders in Summit County.
The organization contracts with over 30 local agencies — known within ADM as the “Circle of Hope” — to provide these services to county residents of all ages, regardless of their insurance status. The ADM Board does not provide direct services.
What kinds of services does the Summit ADM Board help support?
- 24/7 crisis and support hotlines
- 24/7 walk-in detox center
- Adolescent prevention programs
- Recovery housing
- Addiction treatment resources
- Children and adolescent mental health support
What is the ADM Board’s current operating budget?
With a staff of about 25, the board’s current operating budget is $52 million per year. About 77% of that budget — around $37 million — is currently funded through the local levy.
The organization, led by Executive Director Aimee Wade, rents space in the Summit County Public Health facility in Wallhaven. Smith said about a third of ADM’s employees are clinicians, while the rest are social workers, counselors, marketing and accounting professionals and support staff.
“We’re very lean,” he said. “I’ve been here for 13 years, and we’re very proud that we are able to put as much money as possible out to services and do a lot of collaboration around the county to make sure that our funds are leveraged well.”
ADM renewal levies passed in 2007, 2013 and 2019 — is Issue 1 different?
“We did not ask for increases in those years, so we basically have been running on the same millage now for 18 years,” he said.
Smith said Issue 1’s 0.5-mill increase will reflect recent rises in inflation and increases in real estate values, as well as the services that were made available during the COVID-19 pandemic and continuing support for those with opiate addiction.
“We have genuinely tried to come up with a well-decided amount that will help us continue to do the great work to help the agencies — but not ask for more than we know we need,” Smith said.
What does the levy pay for?
ADM partially funds some Circle of Hope agencies and fully funds others.
“They will all tell you that without our funding, they will have to cut services,” Smith said.
The board also works with these agencies to provide assisted outpatient treatment that allows patients to get the help they need while maintaining their autonomy in the community.
“Our goal is to prevent people from going to jail or to the hospital wherever possible,” Smith said. “The old adage, ‘An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure’ is still true.”
Smith added that ADM funds programs in Summit County schools to help local youth “avoid going down a path where they need very many of the services that we help fund.”
Opening up conversations around substance use and mental health
Summit County residents are starting to speak more openly about substance-use and mental health disorders, and Smith said that’s good for the community as a whole.
“The more open people can be, the more likely they are to get the care and have a better quality of life,” Smith said. “We let people define when they’ve reached that level, where they say, ‘Okay, I’ve got a life now.’ That’s the win. That’s when we all feel good about it.”
Learn more about the Summit County ADM Board on its FAQ page.
Issue 1 language that will appear on the Nov. 4 ballot:
Issue 1 Proposed Tax Levy (Renewal and Increase) County of Summit
A majority affirmative vote is necessary for passage.
A renewal of 2.95 mills and an increase of 0.5 mill for each $1 of taxable value to constitute a tax for the benefit of the County of Summit Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services (ADM) Board for the purpose of mental health and recovery programs for children, adults, and families for the County service district, and for the acquisition, construction, renovation, financing, maintenance and operation of the County of Summit Alcohol, Drug Addiction, and Mental Health Services (ADM) Board facilities that the county fiscal officer estimates will collect $46,539,037 annually, at a rate not exceeding 3.45 mills for each $1 of taxable value, which amounts to $75 for each $100,000 of the county fiscal officer’s appraised value, for 6 years, commencing in 2026, first due in calendar year 2027.