By John Kiesewetter
The Cincinnati Enquirer

HAMILTON - Jim Mueller's first big task will be deciding how much money he needs to operate the Butler County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities.

Mueller, 52, was named superintendent of the agency Thursday. The Ross Township resident replaces Fred Valerius, 56, who retires Dec. 31 after 33 years.

A 1-mill tax levy, which has provided funding for 10 years, expires next year. Mueller expects the board to put a replacement 1-mill levy on the ballot next November. The exact amount could change, depending on funding cuts or mandates from the state and federal government, he says.

The expiring levy generates about $3.25 million annually. A replacement 1-mill levy would bring in about $7.5 million each year, because of increased property values, Mueller says.

The additional funding is needed to maintain services for Butler County's exploding population, and to care for aging clients who no longer have parents to help them, he says.

The agency served about 150 people when Valerius and Mueller were hired as teachers in the early 1970s. Now it serves 2,500 people, says Valerius, who has been contemplating retirement for three years.

"I'm ready for this. I've put a lot of energy into this work," Valerius says. "But I think of this as more of a sabbatical than retirement. I hope to be able to contribute to people with disabilities, and in other ways in the community."

E-mail jkiesewetter@enquirer.com