Cuyahoga County voters again showed overwhelming support for key programs for children and seniors, among other services.
Unofficial results show Issue 26, a renewal tax levy for county health and human services programs, cruised to victory with 71% of the vote.
All kinds of programs across the county rely on this money, including early childhood education programming, assistance for senior citizens, and mental health and addiction services. Plus, MetroHealth System, which calls itself “Cuyahoga County’s safety-net health system,” receives a small portion of its operating funds from the levy.
“Support for the levy is not just an investment in public health but a lifeline for those who rely on our services to survive,” County Executive Chris Ronayne said in an October 2023 news release. “It’s an opportunity for Cuyahoga County to provide ongoing resources necessary for our community’s health, well-being and growth.”
HHS levies enjoy long history of support
The measure’s language specifically requested a 4.8 mill tax renewal for the next eight years. This means county residents will now “continue to pay about $9.50 per month on $100,000 of auditor-appraised value” in property taxes, according to the levy’s campaign site.
Issue 26 is estimated to bring in about $137,234,000 per year. Plus, backers of the levy said its passage also unlocks “hundreds of millions” in matching state and federal funds. In recent television advertisements, the campaign stressed that Issue 26 “is not a tax increase.”
Voters last passed a tax replacement and increase in March 2020. Nearly 70% voted for it. That’s the Northeast Ohio norm. A recent analysis by cleveland.com / The Plain Dealer found county voters haven’t rejected an HHS levy since 1978.
Supporting neighbors
In addition to underscoring that the measure won’t raise taxes, much of the messaging centered on community.
About 500,000 individuals and 200,000 families were helped by these initiatives last year, according to a promotional video from the levy’s backers.
“Any one of us could need the services provided by this levy,” reads a heading on the levy’s campaign site.
Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb and many suburban elected officials backed the levy.