The Cincinnati Enquirer

Hamilton County Commissioner Todd Portune has been cleared to vote on whether to put a proposed levy for Drake Center on the November ballot, he said Tuesday.

Portune had sought guidance from the Ohio Ethics Commission because he receives outpatient therapy at the long-term acute-care hospital in Hartwell. The commissioner has been in a wheelchair since having tumors near his spinal cord removed in early 2003.

He said he will scrutinize Drake's request before deciding how much money the hospital should be allowed to seek from voters.

"I will certainly support putting something on the ballot," Portune said Tuesday. "I think there is a clear public purpose to their mission as a specialty hospital for people with very serious injuries or illnesses."

The commissioners' Tax Levy Review Committee recommended $94 million for Drake - 33 percent more than its current levy - after a contentious debate that included one member recommending no levy at all.