Mental health, senior services levies overwhelmingly approved

Vikki Hayden slides her ballot in the voting machine Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023 at Roosevelt Middle School. BILL LACKEY/STAFF

Credit: Bill Lackey

Credit: Bill Lackey

Vikki Hayden slides her ballot in the voting machine Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023 at Roosevelt Middle School. BILL LACKEY/STAFF

Renewal levies for an agency that provides services for older Clark County residents and another that promotes mental health in the county passed by large margins in results Tuesday night.

The Mental Health and Recovery Board of Clark, Greene and Madison Counties passed a 1.65-mill renewal levy that will not raise taxes. It will provide funds for mental health and addiction treatment and prevention, and operating, maintaining, constructing and acquiring mental health and addiction facilities.

Its levy passed overwhelmingly with 68.18% yes votes, according to unofficial results.

“I think what we were able to show with this campaign in particular was we’ve really maximized the state and federal dollars over the last five years and keeping that renewal levy ... keep locked it in, you know, so no new taxes but going after those additional dollars brought new programs and services to the area,” director Greta Mayer said.

Mayer said she is excited and grateful to voters for the result and the levy will help the higher demand in care that’s been evident since the pandemic. She said she is thankful to the levy board, staff and the 16 contract care providers who deliver the “critical care safety net services” to the community.

The next challenge, Mayer said, will be to sustain the growth of services in the next few years.

“There have been lots of really great expansion and new access points to care, so I think continuing to go after more dollars for services to sustain the growth I think is going to be our next challenge,” Mayer said. “It’s looking ahead. It’s always important to plan plan for the future and keep the safety net of services in place that we have.”

United Senior Services passed a renewal levy, for 1.4 mills that will not raise taxes. The levy will fund services or facilities for older adults and allow USS to give financial assistance to nonprofits to establish and operate programs through USS.

The levy passed with 74.05% yes votes, according to unofficial results.

“When we have such a positive result, it’s truly humbling for us, the vote of confidence for the effort that we make every day to serve this older generation here in our community, so we’re grateful,” director Maureen Fagans said.

Fagans said that USS will continue serving the community, in which more people are becoming eligible for its services. She said every year, more people discover the services USS has to offer, and with the levy dollars, they will continue being able to access them.

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