Commissioners approve 2025 county budget
NEW PHILADELPHIA (WJER) (Dec. 18, 2024) – Foster care costs are contributing to a more than $4-million budget shortfall.
The Tuscarawas County Commissioners on Monday approved a little over $37-million in general fund expenses for 2025 while projected revenue is just under $33-million. Board President Kristen Zemis says sales tax collections and investment income are both down as the cost of specialized placements for kids with intensive needs continues to increase.
“And we are not the only county that is experiencing this. This is an across the state problem, and they can charge whatever they want.”
The county spent $3.9-million on foster care in the first 11 months of this year, and commissioners authorized just under $2-million for the first half of 2025. Zemis says JFS Director Veronica Spidell and her staff have been doing their best to keep costs under control but are fighting an uphill battle.
“The fact of the matter is when we have a child who needs specialized care and there is no kinship available and there is no bed for that child to get services within our county, we have to go out of county. Sometimes out of state. Sometimes out of the region.”
The director before Spidell was David Haverfield. He proposed a children’s services levy before being placed on paid leave and later resigning following criticism for what Zemis previously described as ‘a large fiscal problem that spiraled over the years.’
“I think we need something like that. I don’t want to speak out of turn. That isn’t necessarily my place to have that discussion, but I know if you called up Ms. Spidell and you asked her if there was a need, my guess is she would say yes.”
The calendar for next year is also negatively impacting next year’s county budget since county employees will get an extra bi-weekly paychecks. That’s an additional $500,000 in payroll costs that the county will then save in 2026.