TODAY: Webinar on administration of SNAP, Medicaid, and other JFS programs at 2:00 p.m.
The second of CCAO's three-part webinar series to dive deeper into the important human services systems that counties administer will be held TODAY Monday, September 14 at 2:00 p.m. and will focus on the job and family services (JFS) system.
Our county JFS agencies administer several public assistance programs including SNAP, Medicaid, TANF, and publicly funded child care. This webinar will discuss the core functions of county JFS and how new federal and state legislation are impacting operations.
The goal of the webinar series is to help familiarize commissioners with the system and the challenge it faces as we head into a new gubernatorial administration and a new General Assembly.
You can register for the webinar here.
The third and final webinar in the series will focus on child support enforcement agencies will be held on September 28 at 2:00 p.m..
If you missed our first webinar on the child welfare system, you can find the slides and recording on our website. The materials from today's webinar will be posted on the website after the event concludes. Top Top Ohio maintains robust economic performance
In OBM's Monthly Financial Report for August, state revenues continued over-performing their estimates while spending has come in below estimates.
While the revenue performances over estimates are generally modest, revenue is exceeding SFY 2026 by a more considerable margin.
In August, the state sales and use tax exceeded estimates by $7.3 million (0.6%). August 2026 sales tax collections exceeded August 2025 collections by $49.9 million (4.3%).
As a whole, sales and use tax collections through two months of SFY 2027 is $300.5 million above the first two months of SFY 2026.
You can read the full Monthly Financial Report here. Top State funding opportunities
The table below contains current state grant or loan programs. A more comprehensive list can be found on the Ohio Grants Partnership webpage.
Grant Program
|
Brief Summary
|
Eligibility Criteria
|
Amount Available
|
Application Due Date
|
| Rural EMS and Dispatch Modernization Grant Program |
To improve emergency medical services (EMS), public safety communications, and emergency dispatch capabilities in rural communities. The project is intended to strengthen emergency response systems through investments in technology, workforce development, communications infrastructure, and innovative models of care |
PSAPs, emergency dispatch centers, EMS, and Fire serving rural areas |
$12 million available
|
October 6, 2026 |
| Precinct Election Official Recruitment and Training Grant |
To provide assistance in the recruitment and training of precinct election officials for the 2026 November general election. |
County boards of elections |
Set allocation per county, contact the Secretary of State for further information
|
Unspecified, but terms must be completed by November 2, 2026 |
| H2Ohio Conservation Ditch Grant Program |
To provide reimbursement for the construction of two-stage and self-forming conservation ditches. |
Soil and water conservation districts and county engineers |
Unspecified
Reimbursement model
|
June 1, 2027
(Rolling until) |
Federal funding opportunities
The table below contains a sampling of current federal grant or loan programs. A full list can be found on Grants.gov.
Grant Program
|
Brief Summary
|
Eligibility Criteria
|
Amount Available
|
Application Due Date
|
| Low or No Emission Bus Grant Program |
To support the purchase or lease of low-emission and zero-emission transit buses, including acquisition, construction, and leasing of required supporting facilities. |
Local governments that operate fixed-route bus service. |
$589 million available
Local match of 20% required (some exceptions apply)
|
September 21, 2026 |
| Buses and Bus Facilities Program |
To support the purchase, rehabilitate, or lease of buses and related equipment, and to support the construction, purchase, rehabilitation, or lease of bus-related facilities. |
Local governments that operate fixed-route bus service. |
$21 million available
Local match of 20% required (some exceptions apply)
|
September 21, 2026 |
| North American Wetlands Conservation Act Standard |
To support projects that involve long-term protection, restoration, and/or enhancement of wetlands and associated uplands habitats for the benefit of all wetlands-associated migratory birds. |
General availability |
$46 million available
1-to-1 local match required
|
September 25, 2026 |
| Crisis Response Training Program |
To improving law enforcement responses to individuals in crisis who have behavioral health conditions, intellectual and developmental disabilities, physical disabilities, and/or traumatic brain injuries. |
Two pots:
One for law enforcement agencies
One for correctional facilities
|
Max award: $650,000
No match required
|
October 5, 2026 |
| Reducing Injury and Death of Missing Individuals with Dementia and Developmental Disabilities Grant Program |
To support public safety efforts to reduce deaths and injuries of individuals with forms of dementia, such as Alzheimer’s disease, or developmental disabilities, such as autism, who, due to their condition, wander from safe environments. |
Law agencies and health care agencies |
Max Award: $150,000
No match required
|
October 5, 2026 |
| Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-saving Transportation (PROTECT) Planning Grants |
To assist entities in developing a Resilience Improvement Plan. |
General availability |
$79 million available
|
October 9, 2026 |
| PROTECT Resilience Improvement Grants |
To improve the ability of existing surface transportation assets to withstand one or more elements of a weather event or natural disaster, or to increase the resilience of surface transportation infrastructure from the impacts of changing conditions, such as sea level rise, flooding, wildfires, extreme weather events, and other natural disasters. |
General availability |
$551 million available
|
October 9, 2026 |
| PROTECT Community Resilience and Evacuation Route Grants |
To strengthen and protect evacuation routes essential for supporting emergency evacuations during emergency event. |
General availability |
$79 million available
|
October 9, 2026 |
| PROTECT At-Risk Coastal Infrastructure Grants |
To enhance the resilience of highway and non-rail infrastructure, including bridges, roads, pedestrian walkways, and bicycle lanes, and associated infrastructure, such as culverts and tide gates to protect highways, that are subject to risks associated with their coastal location. |
General availability to entities on coastlines, including Great Lakes |
$79 million available
|
October 9, 2026 |
| Title X Family Planning Services Grants |
To promote the general family planning programs and goals under Title X of the Public Health Service Act. |
General availability |
Maximum award: $22 million
Local match of between 1% and 10%
|
January 9, 2027 |
Top Each week Counties Current highlights the happenings in our counties in the words of their local media.
One story from each of the CCAO's five districts is highlighted, and on occasion other stories may be highlighted as well.
A paid subscription may be required to view the full article in some cases.
Northwest District
Contractor approved for Hume sewer project
LimaOhio.com, September 10, 2026
The Allen County commissioners entered into a contract with Degen Excavating Company Inc. on Thursday morning for the construction of a sanitary sewer system that will serve approximately 47 residences in the hamlet of Hume in Shawnee Township.
Degen Excavating was approved as the lowest project bid at $2,505,970.37, with Beaverdam Contracting Inc. and VTF Excavation LLC being the other bidders at $2,640,000 and $2,843,409.69, respectively.
The new sewer system is also being funded by a $2 million principal forgiveness loan administered by the Environmental Protection Agency’s Water Pollution Control Local Fund. The project will provide a new line for Hume residences that were found to have failing septic systems upon testing by the Allen County Health Department, Meyer said.
The remaining project cost not covered by the loan will be divided among the served Hume residences through a 30-year loan at 0% interest, assistant county sanitary engineer Ron Meyer said. The exact cost per household is “too early to tell,” Meyer said, but he hopes for “no more than $25 a month” on each monthly sewer bill.
Depending on the weather and a pre-construction meeting, Meyer said the system installation could begin as early as this winter. Construction is expected to be completed by next year.
Northeast District
Lake County faces $500,000 SNAP loss under federal changes
Cleveland.com, September 11, 2026
Lake County Job and Family Services expects to lose about $500,000 in annual federal funding used to administer food assistance benefits due to the federal government shifting a larger share of those costs to states beginning Oct. 1.
The change affects money that Lake County uses to operate the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, including processing applications and determining eligibility.
It does not represent a $500,000 reduction in food benefits received by Lake County residents.
Under federal legislation enacted in 2025, the federal government’s share of SNAP administrative costs will drop from 50% to 25%, leaving states responsible for 75% of those costs, JFS Director Suzanne Casar told county commissioners Thursday.
Casar said Ohio counties will lose about $51 million annually as a result of the change. For Lake County, the reduction is expected to total about $500,000 in state fiscal year 2027.
The state plans to provide Lake County with about $230,000 to help offset the loss during the coming fiscal year. That leaves a roughly $270,000 gap that Casar said JFS can cover through discretionary funding and savings from leaving some vacant positions unfilled.
The federal reduction stems from the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which Congress passed in 2025. The legislation reduces the federal government’s contribution toward administering SNAP and could impose additional costs on states with payment error rates above 6%.
Central District
Movie Showcases Real Stories of Recovery and Hope From Ohio Court Program
Court News Ohio, September 10, 2026
A specialized docket in an Ohio court has taken center stage in theaters nationwide. The movie “Union County,” shot on location in Union and Logan counties in Ohio, is a thoughtful look at the intensive process of recovery for people with substance use disorders in the criminal justice system.
The movie follows the story of a few fictional characters. But, as the director and lead actor have said, the true stars are the non-actors who make up much of the cast. They were the participants in a Logan County Common Pleas Court specialized docket, called Adult Recovery Court, when the feature-length movie was filmed in 2025.
The movie opens with their stories during a hearing before Judge Kevin Braig, treatment coordinator and program manager Annette Deao, and other staff. The first person steps up to the podium and apologizes when he forgets to remove his baseball cap in the courtroom. A woman bubbles excitedly as she recounts her restored ability to drive to court that day, and another participant reflects on playing with her kids on Easter.
Judge Braig said he thought the public and those who work in specialized dockets would benefit from the Logan County court staff taking part in a movie that genuinely depicts what participants must accomplish to succeed under the supervision of a specialized docket team.
“I think this picture does a beautiful job of showing that being under the court’s supervision requires commitment and a lot of hard work, and that the work promotes both the personal growth of participants and healthier and safer communities,” Judge Braig said.
Specialized dockets focus on participants being accountable for their actions while also addressing the underlying issues that contributed to their involvement in the justice system. Deao saw the movie as a unique opportunity to increase awareness regarding recovery, the mental health challenges, and the role that specialized dockets can play in helping individuals rebuild their lives.
“If the film helps even one person better understand the recovery process, or encourages someone to seek help, or if it reduces stigma or consoles a family member, then it has served an important purpose,” she said.
Southwest District
Pike County Commissioners discuss plans for internet networking, new sheriff’s uniforms and airport hangars
Pike County News Watchman, September 11, 2026
The Pike County commissioners had a full agenda in their Aug. 20 meeting.
Some topics that were discussed included changes to the internet network and telephone systems in county offices, plans for the Pike County airport and new uniforms for Pike County Sheriff’s Office deputies.
Some of the changes coming to the government center and other government offices will affect the internet networking and their phones.
There was discussion about multiple internet service providers, but no concrete decision about which internet provider to go with for the government building or the sheriff’s office. The commissioners noted that this change will be good for the government building and the sheriff’s office internet connection behind the firewall.
Representatives from the Ice Miller law firm made a recommendation that the commissioners get the Microsoft Teams phone system, but for it to include the entire county, the cost would be $43,000.
The only benefit for the commissioners is that the country expands with SoftBank and has people who are remotely working everywhere, they can still answer their phone from anywhere and don’t have to worry about being tied to a desk.
“And I think that’s an advantage for them because they are so mobile,” Commissioner Jeff Chattin said.
The commissioners agreed to hold off on the Microsoft Teams phone system until all of the networking is done.
Southeast District
Carroll County explores keeping 911 dispatch center at courthouse
Your Ohio News, September 11, 2026
Carroll County commissioners voted to explore keeping the county’s primary 911 dispatch center at the courthouse rather than moving it to the county annex during their Sept. 10 meeting.
Commissioner Robert Wirkner said the 911 Planning Committee recommended exploring relocation of the Public Safety Answering Point, or PSAP, into courthouse space that will become available when commissioners move to the annex.
A previous proposal called for moving the PSAP to the annex, but Wirkner said costs associated with the project, including transferring radio equipment, made that option less feasible.
Sheriff Calvin Graham recommended keeping the PSAP at the courthouse, saying it would keep Sheriff’s Office operations in one location and allow dispatch to continue using existing courthouse servers, radios and security systems.
“From a management standpoint, I’d like to keep all the Sheriff’s Office in one location,” Graham said.
Moving the PSAP within the courthouse also would allow its current space to be converted into a recreation area for inmates. Graham said that would reduce the need to transport female inmates between floors and eliminate an unnecessary security risk.
The proposed PSAP space also would provide natural light for dispatchers, who currently work in an enclosed area without windows.
Commissioners voted to explore the feasibility of the courthouse relocation, which Commissioner Chris Modranski indicated could occur in 2027.
Commissioners also approved having the electrical engineer working on the courthouse server room examine requirements for a proposed four-hour battery backup system for 911 operations.
Wirkner said the system would provide additional redundancy if the primary generator failed, giving officials time to address the problem or establish a backup generator. He said calls also can roll over to Columbiana County under an existing backup arrangement.
“This battery backup is a further level of redundancy,” Wirkner said. Top SEPTEMBER 18
CORSA Annual Membership Meeting
SEPTEMBER 23
CCAO/CEAO Central District Meeting (Perry County)
OCTOBER 2
CCAO/CEAO Southeast District Meeting (Muskingum County)
OCTOBER 9
CCAO Board of Directors Meeting
OCTOBER 12
Columbus Day - Holiday
OCTOBER 14
CCAO/CEAO Northwest District Meeting (Putnam County)
OCTOBER 30
CEBCO Board of Directors Meeting Top
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