Advocates of the mental health levy on Hamilton County ballots Tuesday are campaigning hard for the special tax even though there is no organized opposition.

        The levy — a 2.74-mill renewal with an added .27 mills — will cost the owner of a $100,000 home $48.11 per year, or an additional $7.95 per year.

        If passed by voters, the tax will raise $32.8 million each year.

        Levy proceeds are used by the Community Mental Health Board to contract with 48 agencies in Hamilton County that provide services for mentally disabled people.

        The levy makes up about 40 percent of the board's budget. Other sources are the state (32.5 percent) and the federal government (25 percent).

        People receiving mental-health services pay on a sliding scale, depending on income. Levy proceeds are used as matching funds for those on Medicaid or Medicare.

        Pat Tribbe, president of the mental health board, said the majority of those patients are indigent. He said the $5.1 million annually that would be generated by the additional millage will help pay for:

        • Mental-health services for children. About $2.5 million from this levy will go toward funding children's services.

        • The county's mental-health court, which begins operations in September. About $1 million will go to the mental-health court, which will offer psychiatric treatment for some nonviolent offenders in lieu of jail.

        • Better case management of children receiving services. Each of the 18,500 adults in the system have a case manager, but not every child. About $1 million will provide case managers for all 4,700 kids receiving services.

        Members of the Coalition Opposed to Additional Taxes and Spending say they are privately opposed to the tax but are mounting no campaign.

        “We are opposed to all the levies ... not in keeping with our position that levies should be consistent with increase in inflation,” said Jim Urling, chairman.

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