Achievement Center Levy - October, 2000

The Medina County Achievement Center has two replacement levies on the November ballot, one for 1.125 mills and another for 1 mill. Below, the Superintendent of the Medina County Board of MRDD, Virginia Mitchell, speaks to voters.

“Imagine what it would be like to have a child with a mental or physical disability who needed programs and support. And, what it would be like if the MRDD didn't exist.

“Imagine the kinds of support we provide in terms of health and safety and in terms of education and training.

“We provide such a wide range of services, from birth through seniors.

“These levies are vital to continuing our services. The first is vital to continuing the current services we provide and the second is vital to serving those on our waiting list and those who don’t have services.

“The second levy is vital for us to keep up with the growth in Medina County.

“We have not put an operating levy to the voters since 1989. We’ve had renewals but not for new money. Renewals ask the funds to be continued at the rate it was originally passed at. One of the levies was passed in 1978 and the other in 1980, 22 and 20 years old in terms of collection rates.

“We’ve operated this program and grown it on the money the voters voted in 10, 20 and 22 years ago.

“We’re not asking for new levies, we’re asking the old existing levies be brought up to date at the current level.”

*If the Achievement Center issue passes, the owner of a $100,000 home will be paying, approximately, an additional 82 cents per week.