Dear Friends and Partners,
As you may be aware, county boards of developmental disabilities in our region and across Ohio are facing significant financial pressures. Because the work we do is deeply connected to your lives and our community, I want to make sure you have a clear picture of where HCDDS stands financially and our path forward. Decisions about our budget are decisions about the services and supports people rely on, and we want you informed and engaged every step of the way.
The situation is serious enough to require action, but we are not in crisis. We anticipated pressures would come, we have been planning carefully, and we are on a path forward to protect the people we serve. We want you to understand the challenge and know that navigating it well will take all of us working together.
Where We Stand Today
HCDDS is in a strong position to meet the challenges ahead, though it will require focused and difficult work. Over the past 15 years, we’ve managed our budget carefully. We’ve stretched every dollar, avoided waste, and set aside reserves for exactly the kind of moment we face now. That cushion gives us valuable time to make smart decisions instead of rushed ones and to protect services while we work through solutions.
That said, the cost of Medicaid waivers that fund supports in the community is rising quickly, and our funding has not kept pace. In 2025, we began drawing down those reserves more quickly than planned. To ensure our services in the long-term, we need to address these financial pressures directly and soon.
What’s Driving the Pressure
Three things happened at roughly the same time that increased our costs:
- Federal pandemic funding that had supplemented our budget came to an end.
- The state increased pay rates for direct support professionals from about $11 in per hour in 2019 to $19 per hour now. This was the right thing to do for the dedicated people who provide hands-on care to individuals we support, however, this change added significant cost to HCDDS’ budget.
- More people in our community qualified for and began receiving services, and the needs of those already on waivers continued to grow at a faster-than-expected pace.
But the single biggest factor is an issue that has been building for 15 years. Our local property tax levy, which provides about 75% of our funding, has brought in the same flat amount since 2010. In Ohio, county DD board levies are fixed-sum levies, meaning our revenue does not grow when property values rise.
If you’re buying groceries, paying your electric bill, or filling your gas tank, you know that today’s dollar doesn’t stretch nearly as far as it did 15 years ago. We’re running an essential public service on the same dollars we had in 2010. That’s the core of this challenge.
What’s Next?
We’re not waiting to act. Right now, we’re focused on:
- Reviewing our business practices and contracts to find savings that don’t impact direct services.
- Maximizing every dollar of state and federal funding we’re eligible to receive.
- Analyzing our current programs and services to stretch dollars as far as possible while continuing to meet needs.
- Providing regular updates to Hamilton County’s Tax Levy Review Committee to share our current financial status and future funding needs.
- Engaging with a statewide effort to update how Ohio funds DD services at the legislative level, because this problem does not just affect Hamilton County.
We continue to build on this work. Over the last 59 years, we’ve navigated difficult environments by focusing squarely on our mission. We’re approaching this situation the same way: carefully, transparently, and with the people we serve at the center of every decision. While we’re confident in our ability to ensure quality services in the long-term, we know it will take difficult decisions and hard work to address this financial situation.
Your Voice
A sustainable future for HCDDS isn’t something we can build alone. It will take the voices of the people we support, their families, our provider partners, community members, and local and state leaders, all working in the same direction.
As opportunities to engage arise, we’ll let you know. We’ll also continue sharing updates in this newsletter, on our website, and on our social media pages.
Your lived experience with this system is something no one else has. Your voice matters locally and in Columbus. We hope you’ll stay engaged with us.
With gratitude and in partnership,
Leia Snyder
