The levy is an important part of the agency’s funding, accounting for nearly 20 percent of the public health budget and helping to fund a variety of essential services and valuable programs..

While the agency charges fees for some services and receives state and local grants for some programs, the grants and fees only partially fund what it costs to provide these services and programs. The health levy covers the remaining costs, including those for radon awareness, tobacco cessation, newborn home visiting, safe sleep program for infants, child car seat distribution, many environmental health programs and senior health and wellness.”

For some service fees, part of the fee goes to the state. For example, of the $25 fee for birth and death certificates, more than half goes to the state where the funds are distributed among other state programs.

For mandated environmental health programs, such as inspections for food service operations, campgrounds, public pools, beaches, septic systems and water wells, the agency is restricted on how much can be charged for fees which means local tax dollars pick up the uncovered costs for these mandated services.

Why Now?

Since passage of the first Health Levy in 1988, the levy has been on a 5-year renewal schedule. There are always three opportunities to pass the levy: in the general election (November) of the first year the levy is up for renewal, and in the following year during the primary election (March or May) or general election (November). Regardless of when the levy is put on the ballot during this cycle, the year in which the tax will be collected and on what year’s tax values it is based, remains the same.  The intent is to renew the levy before it expires to avoid a lapse in funding.

Levy History

The first tax levy to support  public health in Knox County was .4 milll levy that passed in 1988, five years after the city and county health departments combined. Since then, Knox County voters have approved a tax levy every five years to support essential services and valuable programming for the health district. The health levy remained at .4 mills until 2012 when it was increased to .8 mills. The current request of a 1 mill levy is only the second increase in millage in 34 years.

Public Health & Knox County

Public health services have been a part of Knox County since the mid-1850s when the city of Mount Vernon created a board of health to oversee disease outbreaks like small pox and to enforce standards for safe sanitation especially, in the downtown area where many businesses were located.  A county health department was formed in 1919 as a result of the 1918 Influenza Pandemic and passage of the Hughes-Griswold Act which established the modern-day organization of local health departments in Ohio.

After more than 60 years of co-existence, in 1983 the county and city health departments were combined to form the Knox County General Health District which became known as the Knox County Health Department. In 2019, the agency changed its name to Knox Public Health.