Highland County Jobs and Family Services (HCJFS) is planning to look to voters in November for a levy, according to Jeremy Ratcliff, director of Highland County Jobs and Family Services.

Ratcliff said that he anticipates making a recommendation to the Highland County Board of Commissioners “in the coming weeks and months” for another $0.9 million property tax replacement levy, which he also said was what the organization ran in the March primary. He said that it wouldn’t go on the ballot unless the board of commissioners approve it.

The levy would cost the owner of a property valued at $100,000 a total of $31.50 over the course of year, according to figures Ratcliff said came from Highland County Auditor Alex Butler.

“And so, I can’t see those numbers changing drastically, but once we get further into this process toward November, I’ll get updated numbers from him again so that we can make everyone aware,” Ratcliff said.

Ratcliff said that in November 2023 HCJFS ran a replacement levy that was the $0.9 mil plus an additional 0.1, but after that didn’t pass, the organization went back to the $0.9 levy that it previously had.

Ratcliff also said “not a dime” of the money goes to staff salaries and that 100 percent of it goes to the payment of foster care costs for the children.

“It’s hard to overstate how important these dollars are,” he said. “They pay for placement costs for foster care children. As I’ve stated many times that we have anywhere from 165 up to 180 children in the county’s custody at any point in time and without these dollars, it’s impossible to pay the foster care costs without asking for additional help or additional revenue from the county commissioners.”

He said that it’s “evident” to him and everyone else that the money is “desperately needed.” He also said that HCJFS is trying its best to keep the children safe and hopes that the community values what it does — the children they serve — and will get behind the levy.

“Yeah, I’ve thought about that a lot over the last six or eight months and I understand that,” Ratcliff said. “I think commissioner (Dave) Daniels mentioned something in the last meeting about levy fatigue and I understand that … They help us provide a safe, welcoming, loving environment for children at the worst part of their life potentially. And that’s what I’m hopeful that the voters could see how these funds are used and the impact they have in our community.”

Reach Jacob Clary at 937-402-2570.