Franklin County passes ADAMH levy to increase property tax funding for mental health
2025 Ohio election results: Columbus, central Ohio races and levy votes
Find out who Columbus voters chose for City Council, the school board, whether new levies passed, and other central Ohio races.
- Franklin County voters approved a property tax levy to increase funding for mental health and addiction services.
- The 10-year levy will cost property owners an additional $17.50 for every $100,000 of taxable value.
- Increased funding will support the county’s new Crisis Care Center among other mental health services.
Franklin County voters approved a levy that will increase property tax funding for the county Alcohol, Drug and Mental Health Board’s services and new crisis care center.
ADAMH requested a 10-year, 3.35-mill levy that would cost property owners $74 for every $100,000 of taxable value, and slightly less for most homeowners who receive the owner-occupancy tax credit. With 100% of county precincts reporting by the morning of Nov. 5, the levy won with nearly 66% of votes, according to unofficial results.
ADAMH CEO Erika Clark Jones expressed her gratitude to Franklin County voters for supporting the board and its network of more than 50 community-based providers.
“This commitment secures a dedicated stream of funding for the next decade, ensuring that vital mental health and addiction services remain available to everyone, regardless of insurance status or ability to pay,” Clark Jones said in an emailed statement. “Not only does this sustain the care thousands in our community rely on, but it also allows us to deliver on the promise of the new Franklin County Crisis Care Center.”
This marks a 0.5-mill, or $17.50 per $100,000, increase from ADAMH’s current 2.85-mill property tax levy, which will expire at the end of 2026. This new levy will commence in 2026, with the first increased taxes to be due in 2027.
The new levy is projected to bring in nearly $116 million in 2027, $25.6 million of which would be from the 0.5-mill increase.
The last time ADAMH asked voters to approve a levy was five years ago, and since then, it’s launched the local 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline in 2022; initiated mobile crisis teams to respond to certain mental health incidents without police in 2024; and built the Franklin County Crisis Care Center and opened the first section in September.
Clark Jones previously said the board was asking voters to approve this year’s “modest” increase in property taxes to continue funding services and fully open the Franklin County Crisis Care Center, a 72,000-square-foot facility in South Franklinton.
The center already opened up to 40 beds in a 23-hour observation unit for those in need of short-term stabilization or physical health and pharmacy services. The next step would be opening a behavioral health urgent care and a family resource center in 2026, then an inpatient psychiatric unit with 16 bedrooms for longer-term support the year after.
In its first four weeks of operation, the center served 450 people, 60% of whom were brought in by first responders like police, EMS or mobile crisis teams. Clark Jones said that’s more than 250 people who didn’t have to go to an emergency room or jail because of a mental health or substance use disorder.
ADAMH does not provide services directly, but rather gives money to partner nonprofits and other providers. More than 77% of ADAMH’s funding comes from the existing property tax levy, with the remainder provided by grants.
The Franklin County Board of Commissioners and Columbus City Council expressed support for the ADAMH levy, and there was no organized opposition to it.
Reporter Emma Wozniak can be reached at [email protected] or @emma_wozniak_ on X, formerly known as Twitter.
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