Residents with developmental disabilities to feel impacts of board’s financial struggles

BUTLER COUNTY, Ohio (WXIX) - Dozens of employees who work for the Butler County Board of Developmental Disabilities will lose their jobs this summer as the board struggles to find the funds needed to serve and support developmentally disabled residents.

On Tuesday, April 14, the board approved to lay off 31 people-- 24 percent of its workforce-- and transfer operations of its building at 282 N. Fair Ave. to Butler County Commissioners to save an estimated $4.5 million.

The board tells FOX19 NOW they will try to ensure there is minimal effect to the services they offer, but it is likely families will see some impact.

“Unintended, but foreseen consequences include delays in response time, shifting to a consultative model for therapies, and a diminished ability to connect families with non-Medicaid funded supplemental supports,” a spokesperson explained.

A combination of factors drove the county board to make further cuts.

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In September, the organization announced it was in a fiscal emergency due to an increase in Medicaid service rates and an influx of service requests.

This sparked the beginning of cost-saving measures, including staff restructuring, reviewing employee benefits, and pay cuts. Family Support Services funding, created to help families find services and lower-cost alternatives, was also cut by 50 percent this year.

With these changes, the lay offs and building transfer, the board estimates around $8.4 million in savings. But it only covers about a quarter of their budget, 83% of which comes from local property taxes.

“We had explored emergency support options at the state and county level but those did not come to fruition,” said Butler County Board of Developmental Disabilities Superintendent Lee Ann Emmons.

The board is now requesting a 2-mill continuous tax levy on the May 2026 Primary Election ballot, which Emmons says will provide “critical funding” for more than 4,300 residents.

“Unfortunately, even if the levy passes, these drastic cost saving measures are still necessary. This, combined with the passage of our levy, extends the stability of our finances and services,” she said.

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