The Montgomery County commission is expected to vote Tuesday on this request, which has also been recommended by the Human Services Levy Council.
“We’re still trying to be efficient and look at our expenses. But that’s going to allow us to operate and provide services, and that’s what’s important. That’s critical,” MCBDDS Superintendent Kamarr Gage said.
Clients, mandates, costs
The Montgomery County commission approved a budget of $58.2 million for the MCBDDS for 2025. More than $28.9 million of this is funded through the Human Services Levy.
Expenses have been rising due to increases in the number of clients served and the cost of services, as well as mandated Medicaid waiver service increases from the state of Ohio.
DDS has seen a 173% increase in Medicaid waiver enrollment since 2006, and eligibility for these waivers is determined by the state. For MCBDDS, waiver match is its largest annual expense, totaling $26.5 million.
Roughly 38% of people with a developmental disability in Montgomery County receive waiver funding, according to a recent report from a Human Services Levy Council team. Since 2006, the number of clients has increased by more than 166%.
Programs, personnel, facilities
The MCBDDS has a hiring freeze for the remainder of this year and has only been hiring “mission-critical” roles since 2023. According to the developmental disabilities department, nine full-time positions have been eliminated, as well as two part-time positions and multiple intermittent positions.
The agency is also discontinuing its mental health program and pivoting its recreation program to a different model. Although these programs were not mandated by the state, they provided for the needs of people with developmental disabilities.
The MCBDDS is working with community partners and its staff to maintain some legacy programming, like dances and other social events. Gage said the department will also work with a Dayton-area church to use their hall as a base for MCBDD events.
Some facility cuts were also part of efforts to address the budget shortfall. The department’s Southview building, located on Thorpe Drive in Dayton, was vacated and has been returned to the county. The Southview building housed a few programs, records management, and some maintenance space.
Fiscal challenges
The MCBDDS, which receives funding through Montgomery County’s Human Services Levy and other revenue sources, was awarded $5 million in emergency funds in October after the department announced nearly $9 million in planned cuts to programs and personnel.
The Montgomery County commission also awarded $17 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to the MCBDDS when the board declared a fiscal emergency in 2023. That one-time funding source was used to cover costs related to Medicaid waiver matches and other expenses.
Gage said he’s very grateful to the Human Services Levy Council for recommending the $9.17 million emergency award and to the Montgomery County commission for reviewing it.
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