Stark County Children Services levy passes, will provide funds for child placements

A substitute levy for Stark County Children Services has handed in unofficial major outcomes.

Jerry Coleman, director of Stark County Job & Family Services, celebrated the levy’s obvious victory.

“I really feel very grateful to each one who got here out to vote to help this levy, help us in our mission,” he stated. “It is solely by means of the help of the group that we will do that.”

With the levy’s passage, Coleman stated, the company will proceed its work to offer for probably the most susceptible kids within the county.

He promised the company will proceed to be diligent in spending tax {dollars}.

“We all know that it is solely by means of the help of the group that we will do that,” Coleman stated. “As we all the time have been, we proceed to pledge to be good stewards of the assets that our group entrusts us with.”

With 100% of precincts reporting, 62% of voters had been in help of the levy and 38% had been opposed.

The five-year, 1.4-mill substitute levy noticed sturdy help all through the night time and held its lead as outcomes had been reported.

The levy will price the proprietor of a $100,000 residence $49 per 12 months in taxes and generate $18,733,000 per 12 months.

Nearly all of levy funds will help placements of abused, uncared for and delinquent kids within the county’s care.

In recent times, youngster placement prices have jumped considerably. Prices for group residence placements have gone up 75% within the space for the reason that final levy was handed in 2019, and prices for residential placements have gone up 62%.

Levy funds will go primarily in direction of these elevated prices, whereas additionally supporting different efforts of Youngsters Providers. These efforts embrace kinship placements, short-term placements and different bills for kids, equivalent to medical bills and clothes purchases.

Canton voters share their help for Youngsters Providers levy

Voters on the Edward “Peel” Coleman Neighborhood Heart in Canton shared their opinions on the levy after casting their ballots Tuesday afternoon.

Lisa Carpenter, a 54-year-old Canton resident, stated she voted in favor of the Youngsters Providers levy.

“We want these companies for youths,” she stated. “We want to ensure these youngsters are protected, have good properties and good colleges and good setting within the residence, and so they cannot try this with out cash to assist them alongside.”

Angela Williams, 53, a warehouse affiliate from the Canton space, additionally voted in favor of Problem 3.

“Something to assist the children, I am for it,” she stated.

Attain Grace at 330-580-8364 or gspringer@gannett.com. Observe her on X @GraceSpringer16.

Canton Repository Employees Author Janson McNair contributed to this report.

This text initially appeared on The Repository: Stark County Children Services levy passes