Hamilton County Issue 10 — Hamilton County: Tax Levy-Renewal/Increase (childrens services/care & placement)

What it does

Hamilton County — Tax Levy- Renewal/Increase — 5.61 mills — childrens services/care & placement — 4 years

A YES vote means

Hamilton County would renew and increase its tax levy for children's services, care and placement, at 5.61 mills, for 4 years.

A NO vote means

Hamilton County would not renew and increase this 5.61-mill tax levy.

What it would cost

5.61 mills for 4 years: $561 a year for every $100,000 of taxable value (a mill is $1 per $1,000). Ohio taxes 35% of a home's appraised value, so that's about $196 per $100,000 of appraised value; renewals often collect less than the full rate because of Ohio's tax-reduction factors. Taxable value is after exemptions such as homestead; your tax bill or property appraiser shows yours. It would continue a tax already in place rather than add a new one.

Needed to pass

A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Leaving it blank doesn't count either way.

Left–right lean

Not a left–right issue: a procedural or local question that liberals and conservatives don't typically split on (AI read of the official ballot summary).

The YES and NO lines are SpectrumVote's plain-language reading of the official text above; the official text is what you vote on.

Official text: source

Background

According to the Tax Levy Review Committee's consultant report (Public Consulting Group, February 20, 2026), Hamilton County Job and Family Services expenditures rose from $98.4 million in 2021 to $180 million in 2025, largely due to the rising cost of out-of-home care for children.

The same report says the agency took about $36 million in budget cuts for 2026 to prevent a levy deficit, and that the current 4.75-mill Children's Services levy was approved in 2021 with 58% of the vote.

WVXU reported that the Board of County Commissioners chose the four-year, 5.61-mill levy at a special meeting on August 3, 2026, with President Stephanie Summerow Dumas and Commissioner Denise Driehaus voting yes and Vice President Alicia Reece abstaining; the board considered 15 options, and Reece had proposed a smaller levy partly subsidized by stadium sales tax revenue.

Put on the ballot by Hamilton County Board of County Commissioners, 2–0 with 1 abstention (per WVXU), August 3, 2026 special meeting.

From official source 1, official source 2.

In the news

• Hamilton Co. selects $117M Children's Services levy for Nov. ballot · WVXU, 2026-08-03

Next elections here

• 2028 presidential election · Who has filed so far, from FEC filings

Quick answers

What does a YES vote on Hamilton County Issue 10 mean?

Hamilton County would renew and increase its tax levy for children's services, care and placement, at 5.61 mills, for 4 years.

What does a NO vote on Hamilton County Issue 10 mean?

Hamilton County would not renew and increase this 5.61-mill tax levy.

How many votes does Hamilton County Issue 10 need to pass?

A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Leaving it blank doesn't count either way.

Should I vote yes or no on Hamilton County Issue 10?

SpectrumVote doesn't endorse anyone or tell you how to vote. Read what a YES and a NO vote each do, and the official text, then decide based on what you want to happen.

When is the vote?

The general election was Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Counts are unofficial until each state certifies its results over the following weeks; your state or county election office has the official results.