CLEVELAND — Property taxes could be on the rise in Cuyahoga County.
County Executive Armond Budish and County Council President Dan Brady are considering seeking a property tax increase next year to pay for services that help kids, families, and adults.
The county relies on two health and human services tax levies to pay for the treatment for the mentally ill and those addicted to drugs and alcohol; care for children taken from troubled homes; provide health care and other services to senior citizens; and support MetroHealth, among other things.
Budish told 3News his next budget is balanced, but the need for services, especially those related to kids and senior citizens, is outpacing some modest revenue growth.
“Kids in custody are very expensive and we have to support them,” he said. “We have an obligation to provide the safety net for people, especially vulnerable ones in this community.”
The health and human services levy in question is up for renewal next year and generates about $100 million a year. It costs the owner of a $100,000 home about $135 per year. Budish did not say how much the tax might increase.
“Even though we have had increasing needs and substantial cuts from state government, we have been able to balance this budget over and over again without raising taxes,” he said. “This year? I don’t know. We are looking at it and we will have to make a decision soon.”
Budish also said he has no plans to tap the multi-million settlement reached this week between the county and opioids manufacturers. He said that money is for a specific purpose.
“We are not going to use that for roads and bridges and other things that might be nice in the community,” he said. “We are using that to help people in this community who needed it and who suffered from opioids crisis and help prevent it in the future.”
Budish said some of the money could go to services unrelated to health and human services, such as the Medical Examiner’s Office, which incurred huge costs related to the autopsies of people who died of overdoses.