BODD to Pursue New Developmental Disabilities Levy in 2026 &
2 New Board Members to be Appointed by Year-End
Board of Developmental Disabilities (BODD) Meeting - September 17, 2025
Meeting Details: The Board of Developmental Disabilities held a Regular Meeting at 6:00 pm on September 17, 2025 in the Administration Board Room at the Metzenbaum Center at 8200 Cedar Rd., Chesterland, OH 44026. Virtual access was available via Zoom, and the agenda was provided in advance. For virtual meeting information contact Kellie Tvergyak-Oznowich at ktvergyako@geaugadd.org. This Observer attended in person.
Public Comment: Board of Developmental Disabilities has a written public comment policy, first approved by BODD in 2001, and most recently reviewed by the Board in October 2023. See policy here.
Board Attendance:
Developmental Disabilities Staff:
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Don Rice - Superintendent
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Dave Carlson - Assistant Superintendent
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Rean Davis - Business Operations Director
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Tami Setlock - Support and Service Administration
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Richelle Mills - Transportation (via video)
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Megan Thirion - Employment First
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Meredith Myers - Early Intervention
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Janice Chesnes - Human Resources
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Kellie Tvergyak-Oznowich - Administrative Assistant
Others Present:
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Sally Contizano - Metzenbaum Foundation (via video)
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3 candidates for the appointment to the BODD Board seat expiring on December 31, 2025
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Carol Benton - LWV Geauga Observer
Ethics Council
Before the Board meeting was called to order, the Ethics Council, comprised of Mr. Lair, Ms. Keiper and Mr. Welty, approved the minutes of their previous Ethics Council meeting on June 18, 2025 and reviewed local service agreements with parents of children receiving BODD services to provide transportation services for their children.
Mr. Carlson confirmed compliance with the service agreement checklist and no unusual items. All agreements were approved.
Training Sessions - 2026 Budget and New Levy Considerations
2026 Budget - In her presentation to the Board before the meeting was called to order, Ms. Davis explained the key drivers of the final 2026 budget, highlighting the following:
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Waivers 101: A brief overview of Medicaid waivers including:
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A history of BODD’s participation in the program
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Types of waivers: Level 1, Individual Options (IO), Self-directed
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Typical use cases and services
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Current local counts of waivers: IO - 188, Level 1 - 99, Self-directed - 2
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Match economics: Ms. Davis explained that for roughly $0.35–$0.40 in local costs, the system draws $1.00 in services from state/federal sources. The FY26 waiver match cost projection is $6.26 million and is the largest single BODD expense.
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Client services: The FY26 cost estimate is more than $12 million, with the largest components being 52% for waiver match, 14% for community partnerships and 25% for locally funded services.
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Salaries/benefits costs: Estimated to be $5.6 million, with the Case Management department accounting for the largest share at 43%.
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Total expenses trend: 2024 actual expenses were $18.1 million, 2025 projected expenses are $19.5 million, and 2026 budget expenses are estimated at $19.2 million. Ms. Davis pointed out additional detail in the budget for software subscriptions, utilities, and lease expense entries.
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Revenue: 2025 revenue is estimated to be above the Auditor’s Office projection; FY26 revenue is estimated to be $17.2 million based on property tax estimates by the Auditor’s Office. Ms. Davis explained that the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) pass-through sits in the ‘state revenues’ line and is redistributed to county school districts to fund costs associated with children who are experiencing developmental delays and need special education and related services as defined by the operating standards adopted by the State Board of Education.
Further action taken on the 2026 budget by the Board is below.
New Levy Considerations - Mr. Rice provided an overview of BODD’s financial projections in view of the current property tax environment.
He explained that under a 3.5% inflation model, projections show the general fund’s 2027 ending balance would be insufficient to cover operating costs without new levy revenue. BODD currently plans to ask for Board approval to pursue plans to place a levy on the 2026 ballot so that collections begin in 2027.
He recognized that the current policy environment is fluid with initiatives to eliminate property taxes, levy-policy proposals, vetoed budget provisions, and possible carryover caps all under consideration. Mr. Rice noted that to manage cash flow, BODD must maintain at least a 25% year-end carryover—about $4.3 million to cover January–March operations before the April property-tax settlement—so year-end balances should not be viewed as a fully available ‘surplus.’
Mr. Rice reviewed a list of different types of funds available to BODD into which they could transfer funds from the general fund to lessen general fund carryover concerns. They could also establish a severance fund to cover anticipated vacation and sick time payouts for retiring employees. Some of these they currently use, e.g. a reserve fund and a capital improvement fund. They also maintain a Council of Governments (COG) fund where they set aside funds to cover anticipated quarterly waiver payments to the state. He pointed out that “Since our last new (levy) money, which was voted on in 2015, we've seen more than a 30% increase in the number of people we're serving, and we've seen inflationary pressure of more than 33%.”
BODD will draft a carryover-threshold resolution for the Board to consider that will formally trigger levy action once reserves fall to a defined level. He stated that BODD will continue stakeholder outreach and seek County Commissioners’ approval to place a levy on the ballot in 2026, even if unanimous political support is not attainable.
The Board meeting was called to order at approximately 6:45 pm by Mr. Lair.
Minutes: Minutes for the July 16, 2025 Board Meeting were approved without edits.
The Board took the following actions:
APPROVED - The acceptance of a donation from Deanne Novak for FlexStep and bed rail pads for general program use and a letter of appreciation to the donor.
APPROVED - The Board reviewed the financial statements for the month of July and August. For July, Ms. Davis reported there was no unusual revenue activity. On the expenditure side, she noted approximately $597,000 appeared in the residential services line. This was ODE pass-through funding sent to school districts and is not Board revenue. The month was considered typical with no unusual variances. In August, Ms. Davis reported that the Board received the second-half property tax settlement, which was posted in revenue. She noted that expenses included the second-half tax expense within the ‘Other (901)’ line. Residential services spending totaled about $1.8 million, of which roughly $1.6 million was the quarterly waiver-match payment to the state.
APPROVED - Financial Transactions & Voucher Approvals - The Board reviewed and approved various financial transactions, expenditures, and vouchers for the months of July and August.
ACCEPTED - The Ethics Council’s recommendation for three parent-provider contracts in which parents will provide non-medical transportation to their own child.
APPROVED - The FY26 budget, authorizing the Superintendent to make intra-budget appropriation and cash transfers as needed so long as totals remain within the Board-approved budget, with such transfers reported at the next regular meeting.
APPROVED - Three locally funded service agreements with: Jody Sisson in an amount of $20,000 for transportation services, Jamie Laramee in an amount of $5,000 for transportation services, and Buckeye Residential Solutions in an amount of $5,000 for Adult Day Services. Four Locally Funded Services Agreement Addendums for transportation services with: Lisa Goldberg in an amount of $18,500, Dianna Rutherford in an amount of $13,000, TV TRANS LLC in an amount of $3,000 and Brenda Goodman in an amount of $2,000.
APPROVED - A grant to A Better Choice, LLC (ABC) up to $15,000 to purchase a vehicle for transportation services. The recipient switched from a Toyota to a Ford Transit at the same amount, and the previously adopted repayment clause required if operations cease remains in effect. Observer Note: This matter was previously discussed at the July 16, 2025 meeting.
APPROVED - A $232,068 grant to Jewish Family Service Association (FSA) to support operation of the Metzenbaum Residences Intermediate Care Facility (ICF). Mr. Rice explained that this grant continues the BODD commitment to keep the organization operating in the black. He noted that prior to JFSA assuming operation of the ICF, costs to operate the facility by BODD were roughly $1 million annually.
APPROVED - A $1,400 grant to Sunny Hope to purchase a Hoyer-type lift to safely transfer students with mobility needs.
APPROVED - The adoption of the Cybersecurity Policy 3.26 to meet the requirements under new Ohio cybersecurity regulations that were included in HB 96 budget bill and the compliance deadline of September 30, 2025 and to align with the Geauga County Automated Data Processing (ADP) standards.
APPROVED - Disposal of Assets - Approval was granted to dispose of two speakers and one mix board deemed obsolete. Staff will attempt to return these to working order and provide them to community partners if feasible.
The Board received the following status and program reports:
Observer Note: Since there was no Board meeting in August, no July report was presented, so comparisons noted below were made to June.
Major Unusual Incidents (MUIs):
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Mr. Carlson reviewed the MUI report, August MUIs were down to 5 from 11 in June. The impact of the new MUI definition rule that went into effect on July 1st will be assessed over several months. Observer Note: For more information, see the LWVG Observer Report for the February 19, 2025 BODD Meeting where these changes were reviewed.
Population & Residential Services:
Employment & HR Updates:
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Mr. Carlson reported that 187 individuals served by BODD were competitively employed, down slightly from June.
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Mr. Carlson also noted that the BODD staff remained at 60.
Program Reports:
The Board discussed the following issues:
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Annual Planning Meeting - Mr. Rice announced that the Annual Planning Meeting was scheduled for October 22, 2025. At this meeting they will review progress on current-year goals; draft 2026 goals and priorities regarding programs, finance and operations; align priorities with the 2026 budget and levy timeline; and produce a draft plan that will come to the working session in the November Board meeting and then be voted on at the December Board meeting. He explained that the BODD administrative team will lead the meeting and board members are invited to attend. He asked that Board members let him know if they will attend since per the open-meeting laws if four or more board members plan to attend, the Superintendent will need to provide notice of a public meeting.
General Announcements: There were none.
Other Business/Comments - Mr. Lair asked if there were any comments from the floor. This Observer informed the Board of four upcoming LWVG Candidate Forums to be held in late September and early October at various schools across the county.
Executive Session - Mr. Rice reported that 2 current Board members, Ms. Janson and Ms. Wilder, have decided not to stand for another term on the Board. Both of their terms expire on December 31, 2025. The Board voted to go into Executive Session for the purpose of considering the appointment of a board member, pursuant to ORC 121.22(G)(1). Mr. Rice said that there would be no report from the Executive Session. This Observer asked about the process to be followed, and Mr. Rice explained that the 3 of the 4 candidates who applied would be interviewed by the Board that evening. At the October meeting, they will interview the fourth candidate. In November, they will provide all the candidates’ resumes to the Board of County Commissioners and make a recommendation on the appointment. He said the same process would be followed for the second board seat to be appointed by the Probate Judge. Mr. Rice noted that the appointing bodies are not required to accept the recommendations and sometimes do not. Both board seats must be filled by the end of the year. Observer Note: For more information about the appointment responsibilities and required composition of the BODD Board see the Guiding Voices in County Board Governance by the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities.
The next BODD meeting is scheduled for October 15, 2025 at 6:00 pm.
Minutes when posted are available here: Board Minute Summaries|Geauga County Board of Developmental Disabilities.
Observer: Carol Benton
Editor & Reviewer: Sarah McGlone
Submitted: September 18, 2025
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