Marion County commissioners have approved a request from the Marion County Board of Developmental Disabilities for a new tax levy.
The Board of Developmental Disabilities passed a five-year levy in 2020, which expired at the end of 2025. The proposed levy would reduce the current rate from 3.0 mills to 2.4 mills and extend the term from five years to a 10-year fixed rate, according to a community announcement.
For homeowners, this means an annual cost of $84 for a home valued at $100,000. The levy will provide valuation to reflect current property values.
The board also has a separate 0.5 mill capital levy held at the 1985 collection rate, which is due for renewal in 2026.
MCBDD noted several key points about the levy request in the announcement:
The 2020 levy has expired and will not continue after final collections at the end of 2026.
The 2.4 millage of the 2026 request is less than the 2020 expired levy.
The board does not receive an increase in funding when homes are re-evaluated.
The agency currently operates on federal funds, state funding and local property taxes.
A new levy is critical to fund services and programs for those in the community with developmental disabilities.
The board has seen a steady rise in services and state-mandated costs.
Increasing demand for services
The Board of Developmental Disabilities serves about 1,000 individuals in Marion County, including 124 children under age three, nearly 350 youth between ages 3-22 and hundreds of adults as long as they need services. Services include early childhood intervention, residential support, job training, employment services, family assistance, assistive technology, Special Olympics programming and more.
Director of Operations Travis Harrah noted a significant increase in demand since the last levy was passed.
“We have added over 200 people to our caseloads and have seen a state-mandated 36% increase in our waiver costs,” Harrah said in the announcement. “We are happy to see that people are finding us for support, but obviously that puts a strain on our budget. We are confident with this 2.4 mill levy we can sustain through the 10-year requested levy cycle at the current rates and service projections.”
For more information, including a detailed Q&A, visit the MCBDD website.
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