MAHONING COUNTY, Ohio - Mahoning County Commissioners have approved a levy for children's services to be put on next election's ballot.

This is a replacement levy for the Mahoning County's Children Services and would be an increase of $8.68 a year for an owner of a $100,000 home.

Children Services officials said this replacement levy will help them keep up with inflation.

"Mahoning County Children Services currently has approximately 300 children in the custody of the agency. The levy funds are the primary manner in which we are able to pay for the care needed for those children whether its treatment foster care or residential placements," Julie Rudolph, Assistant Director of MCCS said. 

In 2014, voters approved a 1.85 mill levy for MCCS. That levy has been replaced and passed during elections since then.

When renewing the levy in the past it would only take into account the taxpayer's property value in 2014. This replacement levy will now take into account their current property value - and since those have gone up since 2014 so will the cost for each taxpayer.

"This levy currently generates approximately $8,024,253 per year which represents about 45% of our total funding.  If replaced at the same millage (1.85) it will most likely generate $8,891,048.  That equates to $866,795 additional dollars available to the vulnerable children of Mahoning County each year," a statement from MCCS said. 

The levy will be on the November 2023 ballot. If passed it will go into effect in 2024 and last for five years.