CLINTON COUNTY — A property tax that provides 28 percent of the Clinton County Health District’s budget revenue is scheduled to expire at year’s end, and the Board of Health seeks to renew the 0.5-mill levy next Tuesday.
As a renewal, there will not be a tax increase for the county’s real estate owners, said Clinton County Health Commissioner Pamela Walker-Bauer.
A current residential homeowner of a $100,000 market value parcel will pay $12.56 per year for the levy, according to the Clinton County Auditor’s Office. The levy is estimated to generate $410,862 annually in gross tax revenues, said Deputy Auditor Logan M. Bailey.
Among the array of services provided by Clinton County Health District staffers, the one that receives the most levy funds is public health nursing services, Walker-Bauer said.
Some of the public health nursing services are the communicable disease program’s work to control the incidence and spread of diseases that can be transmitted from person to person; childhood and adult immunizations including a flu campaign; CPR training; school nursing services to Wilmington schools; Help Me Grow home visiting services for local children and families; blood pressure screenings; and assistance for children with medical handicaps.
In addition, the Clinton County Health District installs child passenger safety seats for children with special needs; performs commercial and residential plumbing inspections; does food service inspections; responds to nuisance complaints such as mold and water intrusion; monitors private home septic systems and private well water; inspects body art and piercing businesses; and working primarily with first responders, makes plans for responding to, for example, a pandemic flu.
In 2016, in order to help respond to the opioid epidemic, the health district here received state funds to obtain 120 doses of an antidote to counteract an opiate overdose such as heroin, stated Walker-Bauer. And Clinton County Municipal Court Judge Mike Daugherty’s fine amnesty program provided dollars to purchase an additional 40 doses.
Working with the Clinton County Emergency Management Agency, 160 doses of the life-saving drug were distributed locally to emergency medical services agencies.
In late 2016, the Clinton County Health District learned the county is eligible to receive additional support to combat opiate ODs. An Ohio Department of Health program called Project DAWN would provide 30 naloxone kits to distribute to trained community members.
“We are currently working through the process to make this available to members of the community with a focused effort alongside our community partners,” said Walker-Bauer.
The health commissioner added the health district works for the community, and residents can contact her (937-382-3829) and give her their thoughts on public health matters.
Ballot language
Voters should be aware the tax issue’s heading on the ballot is mistaken, calling it a “Proposed Income Tax Levy (Renewal)” rather than describing it as a proposed PROPERTY tax levy renewal, which it is. Other than the heading, the ballot language is correct.
Every polling booth on Tuesday, May 2 will have a “Notice of Revision” posted that gives a correct wording for the heading by eliminating the word “income”.
The county health district is named the Clinton County Combined Health District because the district includes the city of Wilmington within its countywide jurisdiction.
Reach Gary Huffenberger at 937-556-5768.
