By Ryan Applegate
People’s Defender
Adams County Children Services and Wilson Children’s Home:
A replacement of 0.7 mill of an existing levy and an increase of 0.3 mill to constitute a tax for the purpose of maintaining and current operating expenses of the Adams County Children Services and Wilson Children’s Home that the county auditor estimates will collect $621,000 annually, at a rate not exceeding 1 mill for each $1 of taxable value, which amounts to $35 for each $100,000 of the county auditor’s appraised value, for 5 years, commencing in 2024, first due in calendar year 2025.
For the second straight year the residents of Adams County are facing the crucial decision on election day, November 5, when it comes to a replacement levy for the purpose of maintinaing and current operating expenses of the Adams County Children Services and Wilson Children’s Home.
With 177 children in custody and limited space at Wilson Children’s Home the agency is responsible for finding housing at group homes and residential centers in other areas; that cost Adams County Children Services $3.6 million dollars in 2023 and the cost will be more for 2024.
“We don’t have enough foster homes to house all the children that we have in custody. There has been a lot of work put in to get the number of kids in custody down and we are finally getting somewhere on that front,” Executive Director Sonya Meyer said.
The levy on the ballot is a matter of need for the agency to meet the rising costs of housing children and caring for children in our community, without approval the agency will continue to face shortfalls in the budget.
Meyer sees the children in custody of Adams County Children Services as the community’s kids, “We are all responsible for making sure that these children get the care and support they need. I encourage everyone to take that responsibilty seriously on election day.”
911 System
A replacement of a tax for the benefit of Adams County for the purpose of providing for the operation of a 9-1-1 system that the county auditor estimates will collect $745,000 annually, at a rate not exceeding 1.2 mills for each $1 of taxable value, which amounts to $42 for each $100,000 of the county auditor’s appraised value, for 5 years, commencing in 2024, first due in calendar year 2025.
The Peoples Defender reached out to the Adams County Commissioners and the Adams County Communication Center but were unable to get a comment regarding the 911 system levy on the ballot.
