Lorain County Health District outlines 0.5-mill levy, cites 55% local overdose decline tied to Narcan outreach
June 06, 2026 | Lorain County, Ohio
This article was created by AI summarizing key points discussed. AI makes mistakes, so for full details and context, please refer to the video of the full meeting. Please report any errors so we can fix them. Report an error »
A representative of the Lorain County Health District asked the county commissioners on June 5 to support a proposed 0.5-mill levy renewal to fund core public-health services.
The presenter said the department’s revenue mix is roughly one-third levy funding, about 31% grants and 29% fees. The request is for the same 0.5-mill levy the voters approved a decade ago, which the presenter said costs about $10.50 per $100,000 of assessed value — “less than a dollar a month” for most homeowners.
Why it matters: the health district connected levy support to direct services many residents use. The presenter highlighted a Narcan “walk” program in which staff and volunteers canvass a four-block radius after each overdose, speaking with residents and distributing naloxone. The presenter said Lorain County recorded a roughly 55% reduction in overdoses last year, a decline they said the county’s door-to-door outreach helped produce, compared with a statewide drop of about 17%.
The representative also described other programs funded in part by levy dollars and grants: healthy-places grants supporting sidewalks, playgrounds and trails; school nursing and home-visiting nurses intended to reduce infant mortality; a low-cost prescription program that has saved residents more than $500,000; tick surveillance and public education; and neighborhood cleanups and hoarding-response training conducted since 2023.
Commissioners and staff confirmed the district will return for a follow-up presentation with formal levy language; staff flagged a June 16 agenda slot to continue the discussion. The health-district representative noted a recent state grant for home-visiting nurses and said the department remains a permanent breast-milk collection site for NICU donations.
What’s next: the health district will present formal levy wording at a future meeting and the commissioners will consider placing the renewal on a ballot or otherwise advancing it according to county procedures.
The presenter said the department’s revenue mix is roughly one-third levy funding, about 31% grants and 29% fees. The request is for the same 0.5-mill levy the voters approved a decade ago, which the presenter said costs about $10.50 per $100,000 of assessed value — “less than a dollar a month” for most homeowners.
Why it matters: the health district connected levy support to direct services many residents use. The presenter highlighted a Narcan “walk” program in which staff and volunteers canvass a four-block radius after each overdose, speaking with residents and distributing naloxone. The presenter said Lorain County recorded a roughly 55% reduction in overdoses last year, a decline they said the county’s door-to-door outreach helped produce, compared with a statewide drop of about 17%.
The representative also described other programs funded in part by levy dollars and grants: healthy-places grants supporting sidewalks, playgrounds and trails; school nursing and home-visiting nurses intended to reduce infant mortality; a low-cost prescription program that has saved residents more than $500,000; tick surveillance and public education; and neighborhood cleanups and hoarding-response training conducted since 2023.
Commissioners and staff confirmed the district will return for a follow-up presentation with formal levy language; staff flagged a June 16 agenda slot to continue the discussion. The health-district representative noted a recent state grant for home-visiting nurses and said the department remains a permanent breast-milk collection site for NICU donations.
What’s next: the health district will present formal levy wording at a future meeting and the commissioners will consider placing the renewal on a ballot or otherwise advancing it according to county procedures.
View the Full Meeting & All Its Details
This article offers just a summary. Unlock complete video, transcripts, and insights as a Founder Member.
✓
Watch full, unedited meeting videos
✓
Search every word spoken in unlimited transcripts
✓
AI summaries & real-time alerts (all government levels)
✓
Permanent access to expanding government content
30-day money-back guarantee
