10/11/2025

Butler County board declares financial emergency amid stagnant funding

Brooklyn Andres

CINCINNATI (WXIX) - The Butler County Board of Developmental Disabilities declared a fiscal emergency Thursday, forcing wage and benefits cuts as the organization faces stagnant funding.

The board previously entered a fiscal state of emergency Sept. 11 in hopes of avoiding further cuts.

“We have seen an increase in requests for services and the cost of those services,” Lee Ann Emmons, superintendent, said. “So that we can take some action and implement some cost-saving measures”.

Emmons explained that a fiscal emergency means several things for the board.

They will now be requesting assistance from the Ohio Board of Developmental Disabilities, reviewing staff benefits, staff hours and even business hours.

“Things that will be cost-saving measures for us. It also forces us to look at every expense closely and consider any future contracts or future services,” she said.

Emmons said the staff will be cut to 35 hours a week, which equates to a 6.67% pay cut.

They also plan to forego raises, and some individuals will be paying for some of their benefits costs.

“At this point, our board has two main goals,” she explained. “We want to not impact services and supports to families and individuals served. And we would like to maintain all of the staff that we currently have.”

Nearly 80% of the board’s budget comes from local property taxes. Emmons said the last time they were on the ballot was in 2004, and they’ve been operating on the same budget ever since.

“We need to bring our collections up to today’s standards. We need to go back to the voters and ask them to make the same commitment they made to us 21 years ago to support people with developmental disabilities in Butler County,” the superintendent said.

The Butler County Board of Developmental Disabilities currently provides services to more than 4,200 Butler County residents. With commissioner approval, the Board expects to place a levy issue on the May 2026 ballot.