(Eric Frey)
For the fourth time in five years, a mental health levy will be on the ballot for Oxford area citizens. The hope is that this year the levy will pass. Issue 11, the Mental Health Levy, proposes to raise funds for the Butler County Board of Mental Health through a five-year property tax. Funds accumulated from the tax will support such programs as the Community Counseling and Crisis Center, the Crisis Hotline, medical services to those with mental disabilities and drug and alcohol abuse services. Such valuable community resources are worth the cost to property owners. Taxation on a $100,000 property, for example, would come to a little less than $28 per year but would provide ample means for the provision of needed community services. The editorial board supports Issue 11 this election year.
Each election cycle, as this levy fails to pass, citizens choose to ignore a marginalized population. Such inattention is easily committed when the people who bear the brunt of it are people with mental disabilities, who have difficulty advocating their need for services.
It comes down to the fact that the many voters would rather not see an increase is taxes. Mental health services, however, will be paid through taxes one way or another. If Butler County mental health services are cut due to a lack of funds, people with mental disabilities will be sent to state-funded hosptials and subsidized under other governmental programs such as Medicaid.
All of these programs are paid for with taxes and as the need for these programs increases, so will the tax burden for citizens. Should this levy be passed, however, sufficient funds will be raised to support current services and will, in fact, decrease the amount of money taxpayers spend on such services. The levy may unduly burden families that are already in tight monetary straights - however, taxpayers will finance the end result of mental health services despite the outcome of Issue 11.
The tax burden of the levy may have small effects on the student population as well. Room and board fees and rent for off-campus students could increase slightly. But, it is important to note that the Butler County Board of Mental Health also supports services students use and benefit from, such as the Community Counseling and Crisis Center, the crisis hotline and rape advocacy programs.
The cost of this levy is not 58 cents a week or $28 a year; the cost is recognizing the needs of people with mental health issues. The Miami Student urges support for this issue.
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