The Highland County Board of Commissioners approved a Highland County Children Services levy to be placed on the March ballot at its weekly Wednesday meeting.

“This is the ongoing issue we keep talking about,” Jeremy Ratcliff, director of Highland County Jobs and Family Services, said. “So, this is a proposed levy, a replacement levy for the March ballot. It would be a $0.9 million without the increase. So, it would not change the rates of the current levy. It would just replace that levy. Proposed to generate approximately $795,000 to $883,000, depending on delinquencies.”

He said that 100 percent of the money from the tax levy would go to placement costs, with “not a penny” going to salaries. He also said the total costs for placement of children in the county is about $4 million.

Ratcliff said that, just “for perspective,” the Children Services department has 170 total children in case and 12 of them alone cost $105,000 per month.

“We discussed the replacement with increases potentially, you know, being an issue and we heard the voters, but the need still remains, and so we’re asking for their support,” he said.

In other news, commissioner Terry Britton said a new restroom would be going in at the North Shore Boat Ramp at Rocky Fork Lake. He said the Ohio Division of Natural Resources is doing a statewide restroom improvement program, with Highland County one of the locations getting it. He also said the county has some preliminary utility plans they’ve been working on with the state through its engineering group.

Also approved was one authorization to execute, that being a change order for the Highland County Records Storage Building by Alpha Construction Indiana, Inc. for general construction updates.

There were 18 resolutions approved by the board of commissioners. Those of note include:

* Res. No. 23-270 is approval for the re-appointment of Linda Klump to the Southwest Ohio Regional Prevention Council, beginning on Jan. 1, 2024, and ending on Dec. 3, 2025.

* Res. No. 23-271 is approval for a proposed replacement tax levy for Highland County Children Services to go on the March ballot.

* Res. No. 23-274 is authorization for the county engineer to purchase two John Deere 6120 M Cab tractors from Deere & Company, not to exceed $202,431.

* Res. No. 23-278 is a determination that a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica was not needed by the county and was to be used as a partial down payment for a new vehicle, and to purchase a 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee L in the amount of $31,000 to be used by the Highland County Veteran Services Commission.

Reach Jacob Clary at 937-402-2570.