Central District meeting on Wednesday postponed
The CCAO/CEAO Central District meeting that was originally scheduled to take place on Wednesday in Perry County has been postponed. As Perry County continues to focus on flood relief from severe storms earlier this month, the county determined that it would be best to cancel the meeting.
Webinar materials on administration of SNAP, Medicaid, and other JFS programs available, final webinar to be held on September 28
The second of CCAO's three-part webinar series to dive deeper into the important human services systems that counties administer focused on the job and family services (JFS) system. County JFS agencies administer several public assistance programs including SNAP, Medicaid, TANF, and publicly funded child care. The webinar discussed the core functions of county JFS and how new federal and state legislation are impacting operations.
A recording of the webinar and a copy of the slides are available here and can be found on CCAO’s Webinars page.
The final webinar in the series will focus on child support enforcement agencies and will be held on September 28.
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.
CCAO Partners with NACo Public Promise Procurement’s Cost-Savings & Value-Added Solutions for Member Counties
As a dedicated partner in advancing Ohio’s counties, we are excited to announce CCAO’s new collaboration with the National Association of Counties’ Public Promise Procurement (NACo PPP) enterprise. This partnership provides Ohio counties with a transparent, efficient, and cost-effective solution for purchasing goods and services.
Through this collaboration, CCAO reaffirms its commitment to supporting Ohio counties by expanding access to NACo PPP’s innovative procurement model. As a participating agency, public agencies gain exclusive access to single-award contracts with premier suppliers through a unique lead public agency (LPA) model. Every contract is carefully vetted by an advisory committee of public-sector procurement professionals, ensuring compliance with RFP and competitive-bidding requirements while eliminating administrative burdens.
Beyond cost savings and streamlined procurement, Ohio counties and their taxpayers also benefit from NACo PPP’s reinvestment in local communities through NACo’s various programs and initiatives.
To learn more about NACo Public Promise Procurement, explore available contracts and suppliers, or register as a participating agency, visit publicpromiseprocurement.org or the Public Promise Procurement tab on the CCAO Service Corps' webpage.
Top Top State releases county SNAP administration allocations
On Tuesday, ODJFS issued a draft Fiscal Administrative Procedure Letter (FAPL) detailing the distribution of $10 million in state General Revenue Fund (GRF) for county SNAP administration. The funding was authorized this spring in House Bill 730 to help counties address anticipated reductions in federal SNAP administrative reimbursement. The federal reimbursement rate was reduced in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The reduced rate begins on October 1, 2026.
HB 730 provided that the $10 million be distributed equally to each county, except that no county or regional system shall receive an allocation more than the amount the county and/or system is expected to lose between October 1, 2026, and June 30, 2027 (the end of this state fiscal year). ODJFS’ FAPL includes a table of each county’s allocation. A county either receives its total calculated loss amount or $144,174.84, whichever is less.
Of note, a county’s nine-month calculated loss is based on SFY 2025 actuals. The SFY 2027 county nine-month loss will depend on agency staff RMS (Random Moment Sample) hits, so there will be variation.
The $10 million in state GRF is eligible for 25% federal reimbursement. HB 730 appropriated $2.5 million in federal funds, assuming the counties will draw down the reimbursement. If a county receiving the maximum $144,174.84 draws down the full 25% match, the county will receive a maximum total of $180,218.55 in additional funds (state GRF + federal match).
During the HB 730 legislative process, a legislative estimated allocation table was shared indicating that counties were estimated to receive up to a maximum total of $226,486 (state GRF + federal match). CCAO recently learned through conversations with ODJFS that the previously estimated distribution amounts are incorrect. As HB 730 was developed, the estimated allocations used by the legislature combined the state’s contribution with the federal 25% match to fully offset SNAP losses in as many counties as funding would allow. No county would receive more than its total SNAP loss.
However, as HB 730 is being implemented, the bill language requires the state $10 million investment to fully offset as many county losses as possible. It does not account for the 25% federal match, which counties will have to claim through submitting reimbursable expenditures. Thus, the maximum amount of funding each county can receive from the total $12.5 million allocation declines from the original $226,486 to $180,218.
We encourage CCAO members to discuss the official allocation amounts shown in the ODJFS FAPL table with your JFS directors.
CCAO compiled a table showing the allocation amounts, expected maximum federal match for the allocation, and the previously reported allocation that you can find here.
Please reach out to Rachel Reedy at rreedy@ccao.org with any questions. Top OHPELRA AI Summit: Preparing Public Sector HR/LR for the AI Era
Artificial intelligence is changing the workplace—and county government is no exception. From HR operations and employee relations to risk management, policy development and workforce planning, AI presents both new opportunities and important questions for public-sector leaders.
The 2026 OHPELRA AI Summit, “Preparing Public Sector HR/LR for the AI Era,” will provide a practical, full day look at how AI is being used today and what organizational leaders need to know as this technology continues to evolve.
Join the Ohio Public Sector Labor Relations Association (OHPELRA) on Thursday, October 22, 2026, from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Quest Conference Center in Westerville for an interactive day focused on real-world applications of AI and its impact on public-sector human resources and labor relations. This training is open to OHPELRA members AND non-members.
County Commissioners, Administrators, HR/LR professionals and Risk Managers will gain insight they can bring back to their organizations as they consider the opportunities, challenges and workforce implications of AI.
Registration and event information are available through the National PELRA Event Portal found here.
Funding opportunities tables change log
The following updates have been made to the tables below.
State Funding Opportunities
- Added Body-Worn Camera Grant Program
- To assist law enforcement agencies in acquiring body-worn cameras and associated technology.
- Available to law enforcement agencies.
- Added Building Demolition and Site Revitalization Grant Program
- To provide funding to demolish buildings and revitalize for economic development sites that are not brownfields.
- All applications must be submitted by the lead agency for each county.
- Added MARCS Grant
- To assist volunteer fire departments and small fire departments in acquiring MARCS-compatible equipment and software.
- Counties are not eligible for this program, but commissioners may find it useful to share with fire departments in their counties.
- Removed outdated grant listings.
Federal Funding Opportunities
- Removed outdated grant listings.
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 |
| Body-Worn Camera Grant Program |
To assist law enforcement agencies in establishing a body-worn camera program or to acquire body cameras and associated technology. |
Law enforcement agencies.
Cannot be used to support Corrections.
|
$5 million available
|
October 7, 2026 |
| Building Demolition and Site Revitalization Grant Program |
To provide funding for the demolition of commercial and residential buildings and revitalization of surrounding properties on sites that are not brownfields. |
The designated lead agency in each county
(Listed in "Lead Agency List")
|
$21.5 million available
|
October 16. 2026 |
| MARCS Grant |
To assist volunteer fire departments and small fire departments in acquiring systems and equipment to integrate into the Multi-Agency Radio Communication System. |
Volunteer fire departments and fire departments serving areas with less than 25,000 residents
[non-county grant]
|
Maximum award: $50,000
|
October 24, 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
|
| 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
New Cuyahoga County crisis center opening this month. Take a look inside
Cleveland.com, September 17, 2026
A long-awaited Cuyahoga County crisis center will open its doors later this month, offering a new option for people experiencing mental health crises or substance-use disorders — but questions remain about how the ambitious facility will be funded for years to come.
The Glick Recovery Campus, a three-story facility on East 22nd Street in Cleveland, is scheduled to begin accepting patients Sept. 28.
The Center’s outpatient clinic on the third floor opened this week. The withdrawal-management beds for people detoxing from drugs or alcohol will be added in January, Eric Morse, president and CEO of The Centers, recently told cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer.
County and mental health officials celebrated the upcoming main opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Sept. 4, with speakers describing it as “transformational” and “revolutionary.”
The facility is expected to provide around-the-clock, walk-in care for people experiencing behavioral health crises, without requiring a referral. It will include 16 psychiatric stabilization beds, 12 withdrawal-management beds, outpatient services, primary care, a pharmacy, counseling, peer support and case management all under the same roof.
The Centers expects the campus to serve roughly 12,000 people a year.
“It is trauma informed; it is evidence-based; and it is grounded in something even more basic: respect first, care always,” Morse said at the ribbon-cutting.
Numerous state and local officials touted the new center for filling a longstanding gap in the region’s behavioral health system and providing residents in crisis with an alternative to emergency departments and incarceration.
People will “no longer be met with a waiting room, a closed sign or jail cell, but can walk through those doors and be met with care that actually meets their needs, and that is something worth celebrating,” State Rep. Bride Rose Sweeney said at the ceremony.
But even as officials celebrated the opening, funding needed to maintain services remains uncertain.
The buildout of the project has received millions of dollars in public and private funding, including $6.8 million in federal American Rescue Plan funding from the state, $7 million from Cuyahoga County’s opioid settlement fund and $2.5 million from the ADAMHS Board for startup costs.
Central District
Franklin County approves $14.6M over budget for Children Services amid complex cases
ABC6, September 15, 2026
Franklin County Children Services will be allowed to spend an additional $14.6 million beyond its budget after county commissioners unanimously approved the request, citing rising costs tied to more complex cases and expanded prevention efforts.
The agency’s overall budget is nearly a quarter billion dollars. The additional spending authority comes as Children Services has gone about 10% over budget, costing more than half a million dollars a month.
Scott Varner, communications director for Franklin County Children Services, said the increase is not because more children are entering the agency’s care.
“It’s not more kids coming into our care but the complexity that those young people bring. Has really increased,” Varner said.
Children with complex cases can involve legal trouble, mental health needs and involvement in other systems, which can require additional and costly care.
Varner said about 1,500 young people are currently in the agency’s care and custody.
“There are about 1,500 young people who are currently in our care and custody right now, 1,500. If one in 4 of those are coming, at least 1 in 4 are coming with those complex challenges, that will continue to drive up costs,” Varner said.
Another factor in the increased spending is a greater investment in preventative services aimed at helping families meet basic needs, including housing stability, food stability, transportation assistance and parenting classes.
“If there are little things that we can do before a family becomes in such a crisis that we need to take further action, well, that’s a lot less expensive and it is so much better for the child,” Varner said.
Southwest District
County using $87M in levy funds to stabilize developmental disabilities, children services
Dayton Daily News, September 15, 2026
A combined $87 million in additional levy funding will help stabilize the Montgomery County Board of Developmental Disabilities Services and Montgomery County Children Services Division as both agencies face a growing demand for services and rising costs, county officials announced Tuesday, Sept. 15.
This multi-year investment includes $44 million for developmental disabilities and $43 million for Children Services through 2030. The Montgomery County commission approved the revised levy allocations at their Tuesday afternoon meeting.
“This investment is about standing behind the children, families and people with developmental disabilities who depend on these critical services and making sure the resources are there to meet their needs without raising taxes,” said Commission President Carolyn Rice during a press conference on Tuesday morning.
Tuesday’s announcement comes as both systems face a growing demand for services, rising costs to deliver those services and additional state-mandated requirements.
Funding and reimbursements have not kept pace with these increases.
Montgomery County administers more than $143.7 million in Human Services Levy funding, supporting Children Services; developmental disabilities; Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services; Public Health — Dayton & Montgomery County; older adult services and other programs.
Voters last approved a Human Services Levy renewal in November 2025.
County officials on Tuesday said this reallocation is not the result of service cuts to other agencies supported by the Human Services Levy. Agencies instead are relying on other sources of revenue aside from the Human Services Levy.
This could be Medicaid dollars for some agencies. Other agencies, like Stillwater Center, have reduced or eliminated their funding requests for Human Services Levy dollars in recent years.
“We are not pulling services from somewhere else,” said Montgomery County Administrator Michael Colbert.
The Human Services Levy Council is an independent body of community, business and government leaders. It evaluates community needs and makes funding recommendations to the commission. The commission then determines final allocations.
Southeast District
County commissioners approve Audie Wykle retirement, roll back DD Board levy
Logan Daily, September 19, 2026
The commissioners received and approved a retirement notice from regional planning Director Audie Wykle, who announced that he is completing his final week of work.
They were also approached by Jill Squires on behalf of the county’s Board of Developmental Disabilities. Squires, the board’s director, was requesting a rollback of its levy, which was later approved. She also requested the establishment of a new line item she referred to as an employee separation non-operating fund. She explained that this is used when a person retires, allowing for a payout of accrued sick time and vacation time.
The commissioners also heard from Chance Graham of the Hocking County Health Department, who presented them with a handful of contracts and bids for the replacement of on-site sewage systems and for a WPCLF agreement. All of these were later approved.
Later, they heard from Tracy Shoults, who was there on behalf of the engineering firm DLZ. Shoults explained that they are preparing paperwork for an Ohio EPA Water Pollution Control Loan Fund (WPCLF) nomination for the 2027 fiscal year for the Haydenville regional connection project. The commissioners later approved a letter sent on their behalf from DLZ for this process. Shoults also explained that the Hocking Valley Scenic Trail was awarded funding through ODOT’s Transportation Alternatives Program, and that DLZ is still interested in being a partner with the county as the project moves forward.
The board also heard from Pamela Montgomery and Hannah Thompson, who work for OSU extension. The women introduced themselves as the new supervisor and a new educator, respectively, for OSU extension’s district 10. They also presented the commissioners with a budget request.
The commissioners also received and approved a series of appropriations, including an appropriation transfer from the sheriff’s office, certificates of additional revenue from the sheriff’s office and the auditor’s office, and additional appropriations from the auditor’s office, prosecutor’s office and the commissioner’s office, the final of which they clarified was to pay for postage and to CORSA regarding the accident at the fairgrounds from over last winter. Additionally, they addressed a sub grant award agreement for the Justice Assistance Grant for the prosecutor’s office, allowing for commission president Jason D’Onofrio to sign off on it when he returns at the next meeting, as he was not present. 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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