Levy passage will help Franklin County residents in recovery

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – The Alcohol, Drug, and Mental Health Board of Franklin County, also known as ADAMH, is thanking voters after the passage of Issue One in Tuesday’s election.

Issue One is a ten-year levy for ADAMH, with the current levy expiring next year, which is when the new one will kick in.

Passed by a vote of 66 to 34, the levy will cost property owner approximately $74 for every $100,000 of their home valuation.

Earlier this year, ADAMH opened part of its new Franklin County Crisis Care Center. ADAMH CEO Erika Clark Jones said the funds will help the organization open the rest of it.

"The need for mental health in Franklin County is growing, and so is our county, so as more residents come, the demand on our services, we know, will be greater,” Clark Jones said. “This funding secures the safety net we have and allows us to bring the Franklin County crisis center on 100%."

Right now, there are 40 observation units open at the crisis care center. According to Clark Jones, 20 more will open in the coming months. She said the behavioral health urgent care will open next year, and the inpatient care unit will open in 2027.