Ohio voters turned down property-tax levies for at least five county boards of developmental disabilities in the Nov. 3, 2026 election: Champaign, Logan, Meigs, Mahoning and Tuscarawas. Cuyahoga and Delaware counties approved theirs. The results below are unofficial counts from county boards of elections as reported by local outlets, including the Urbana Daily Citizen, Signal Cleveland and the Delaware Gazette.
Local levies matter in Ohio because county boards help pay for Medicaid waiver services. Ohio Revised Code 5126.0511 lets a county board use DD levy taxes to pay the nonfederal share of the Medicaid costs it is responsible for, and ORC 5705.222 is the law that lets county commissioners put those levies on the ballot.
The results, county by county
| County | What was on the ballot | Result (unofficial) |
|---|---|---|
| Champaign | 1.5 mills, 5 years, additional; about $2.4 million a year | Failed, 8,029 to 7,185 (52.8% to 47.2%) |
| Logan | Additional levy; about $4.2 million a year | Failed, 10,039 to 7,702 (56.6% to 43.4%) |
| Meigs | 2 mills, 5 years | Failed, 4,007 to 3,369 |
| Mahoning (Issue 4) | 2.4 mills, 5 years; $15.5 million a year | Failed, 45,783 to 41,639 |
| Tuscarawas | 1.2 mills, 10 years, additional | Failed, 18,348 to 12,919 |
| Cuyahoga (Issue 10) | $79 a year per $100,000 of property value | Passed with nearly 63% |
| Delaware | 1.8 mills, replacement; $25.4 million a year | Passed, 65,762 to 48,477 (57.6%) |
These are the county DD board levies DSN could confirm by the morning of Nov. 5; other boards may also have been on local ballots.
Champaign County: cuts already made, more under review
Champaign County's board had asked for a five-year, 1.5-mill levy that Peak of Ohio said would have raised about $2.4 million a year. DSN covered the stakes before the vote. The board told WHIO-TV it has already made $360,000 in budget cuts, including staff layoffs and smaller office space. The board runs programs such as early intervention for infants, social activities and group outings, and it said in a statement after the vote that it will weigh "difficult decisions regarding the future of services and programs" in the coming weeks.
Logan, Meigs, Mahoning and Tuscarawas
- Logan County: the levy would have raised about $4.2 million a year for community DD programs and services, Peak of Ohio reported.
- Meigs County: Superintendent Bret Malone told WTAP the 2-mill request was not a new tax: the ballot called it "additional" because outdated levy language had to be rewritten, and it would have continued the 2-mill levy now collected through 2027, starting in 2028. He blamed that wording for the loss. He said the board pays 40% of waiver costs for the people it serves, with the state paying 60%, and that it plans to put the levy back on the next ballot. WOUB reported the vote count.
- Mahoning County: Issue 4 was the board's first levy request since 2000 and would have cost $84 a year per $100,000 of home value, WFMJ reported. The station said the federal Medicaid match takes $15 million to $16 million of the board's $18 million budget, that the board has been deficit spending, and that its current 2-mill levy expires in 2027.
- Tuscarawas County: the board said Nov. 4 it will evaluate the financial impact and work with its board to find "the most responsible path forward," YourOhioNews reported.
Cuyahoga and Delaware: new money approved
Cuyahoga County's board had not sought a levy since 2005. Signal Cleveland reported that Issue 10 will bring the board almost $100 million more a year for growing caseloads and a raise for caregivers, and that the board spends about 81% of its levy revenue on a caregiving program also funded by Medicaid. The board serves an estimated 15,000 residents.
In Delaware County, voters approved a 1.8-mill replacement levy after turning it down in May. The Delaware Gazette said it will raise $25,448,490 a year at a cost of $63 per $100,000 of valuation. The board has said the money pays for early intervention, family support and Medicaid waiver services.
What this means for providers and DSPs
- The waiver match is an ongoing commitment. Under ORC 5126.0511, each county board adopts a yearly resolution setting how much it will put toward the nonfederal share of Medicaid, the amount must be enough to keep those services available, and the resolution must call the payment an ongoing financial commitment. The county auditor then checks whether the money is there. Levy taxes are one of several sources a board can use for that match.
- Watch board meetings this month. Champaign and Tuscarawas both said decisions are coming in the next few weeks. Provider agencies with board-funded contracts, and DSPs who staff recreation, early intervention or family support programs, should follow those agendas.
- Some boards have time. Meigs and Mahoning are asking to continue levies that run through 2027, and ORC 5705.222 lets a DD levy go on the ballot at any election if it is certified at least 90 days ahead.
- Wages are part of the ask. Cuyahoga's passed levy was tied in part to a caregiver wage increase, a reminder that local money can shape pay for the people who deliver waiver services.