Hamilton County Issue 10 passes with 57% of vote

Hamilton County voters approved Issue 10 on Tuesday, Nov. 3, raising property taxes to fund children's services across the corridor.

The levy passed with about 57% of the vote, according to unofficial results. The Cincinnati Enquirer reported 56.9% in favor with 86% of precincts reporting as of election night. Local 12 reported 57% voting yes.

Hamilton County, OH confirmed the passage on X on Nov. 3, stating voters "approved the Children's Services Levy, providing critical funding to help protect children from abuse and neglect."

Results had not been certified by the Hamilton County Board of Elections as of Nov. 4.

Unofficial results

Source: Cincinnati Enquirer and Local 12, as of election night Nov. 3.

What it means for corridor homeowners

Hamilton County property owners in Evendale, Woodlawn, Sharonville and Springdale will pay $121 per $100,000 of home value beginning in 2027, up from roughly $81 under the previous levy, according to WCPO. That is a $39-per-year increase per $100,000 of home value.

The new levy is expected to generate approximately $117 million per year, according to WVXU. The previous levy, which passed in 2021, generated about $81 million annually and expires at the end of the year. The new levy will fund children's services for four years.

What the levy pays for

The levy funds Hamilton County Job and Family Services (JFS) programs, including child abuse and neglect investigations, foster care, adoption and family reunification, according to WCPO. More than 13,000 children in Hamilton County received levy-funded services last year.

Hamilton County JFS Director Bob Anderson said the cost of providing those services has climbed. "We've seen a large increase in placement costs, about 90% since 2021," Anderson said, according to WCPO's pre-election coverage.

How it reached the ballot

Hamilton County commissioners placed the levy on the ballot in August after considering 15 proposals over the summer and narrowing them to seven, according to WCPO.

Commissioners Denise Driehaus and Stephanie Summerow Dumas voted to place the levy on the ballot. Commissioner Alicia Reece abstained. Reece proposed an alternative that would have raised the levy by only 10% while using a portion of stadium sales tax revenue to close the funding gap. Neither Driehaus nor Summerow Dumas supported that plan.

A levy review committee determined JFS needed $144 million annually to cover base-level mandated services, according to WVXU. Commissioners approved a smaller request and said they would work with JFS to make spending cuts and find other funding sources.

The levy drew criticism over its size. With the increase, the children's services levy will have more than doubled in a decade, according to Local 12.

Hamilton County JFS said on X on Nov. 3 that "budget challenges remain" but the funding "enables the County to continue providing essential services to children and families."

The Hamilton County Board of Elections is expected to certify final results in the coming weeks.