Buckeye Hills Programs Among Those Facing State Budget Proposal Cuts

The two-year budget proposed by Gov. John Kasich impacts programs at Buckeye Hills.
 

Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC): The Ohio Department of Development is undergoing many changes including the creation of a private job creation engine known as JobsOhio.

Buckeye Hills serves as one of Ohio's Local Development Districts (LDD) for the 32-county Appalachian Regional Commission.  Under Kasich's proposal, at the state level, as we currently understand it, the state's Appalachian Regional Commission ARC project funding is cut by 17% in 2012 but so far the LDD administration and ARC federal dues line items are whole. Ohio pays an assessment (which the state titles Dues) to the federal ARC to access federal administrative support and funding for the 32-county region (over $4 million for infrastructure, health care, job creation and training projects and over $20milllion for work on the Appalachian Development Highway System.)

As with many of the General Revenue Fund line items in the Department of Development, the 2013 budget contains no funding for the ARC programs in their line items, but we understand that the funding remains and has been rolled into one Economic Development line item until more is known about the funding needed for the new JobsOhio organization.

Aging (PASSPORT):

Ohio's Area Agencies on Aging are pleased that Governor Kasich's budget plan continues to shift the balance in long-term care funding toward cost-effective home and community care.

The budget recognizes Area Agencies on Aging's success in reining in Medicaid costs through more cost-effective home care. The budget sets forth a plan for a unified long-term care budget in which spending on services and care settings will be driven by the actual needs and choices of seniors and people with disabilities, rather than by separate budget line items.

However, the budget does propose changes and cuts to the long-term care system that could jeopardize Area Agencies on Aging and their ability to provide the same services that have benefitted older adults and saved taxpayers money. The budget anticipates growth in Medicaid programs such as PASSPORT and Assisted Living, but proposes changes in the funding needed to serve that growth.

For Example: PASSPORT Home Care providers will see a three percent reduction in reimbursements. In addition, each PASSPORT client care plan will see an across-the-board reduction of eight percent in year one and an additional 15 percent cut in year two. A 23% care plan service reduction means a serious impact to rural home care providers who are already struggling to provide services with gas at nearly $4 a gallon. The Area Agency on Aging will also see a 15 percent PASSPORT administrative reduction.

The Buckeye Hills Executive Committee is comprised of four non-elected representatives, one minority representative, Mayors of the two largest cities in the District, and eight county representatives appointed by county commissioners. Two-thirds of the Executive Committee are elected officials; one-third are non-elected officials and minority representatives. 

Shown are the 2011 Executive Committee members present at the Feb. meeting: Front from left: Marietta Mayor Michael Mullen; Monroe County Commissioner John Pyles; Board President, Ron Moore - Private Sector of Morgan County; Meigs County Commissioner Tim Ihle; Athens Mayor Paul Wiehl; and Gary Starner - Private Sector of Hocking County; Second row: Hocking County Commissioner Clark Sheets; Sue Baker - Private Sector of Meigs County; Morgan County Commissioner Dean Cain; John Curtis - Private Sector of Monroe County; Perry County Commissioner Fred Shriner and Board Vice-President & Noble County Commissioner Virgil Thompson. Not shown are Athens County Commissioner Lenny Eliason and Board Treasurer & Washington County Commissioner Cora Marshall. 

Ohio's Appalachian Local Development Districts Made a Joint Advocacy Trip to DC in March 

Leaders from Buckeye Hills and the other three Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) LDDs met recently with leaders from The Appalachian Regional Commission, the US Dept. of Commerce Economic Development Administration and federal legislators to bring a voice of Appalachia to DC.

Shown above is the group with ARC staff from left including Tom Hunter,
Exec. Director; Guy Land, Chief of Staff; Misty Casto, BH-HVRDD;
Kathy Zook, Eastgate; John Hemmings, OVRDC;and The ARC Federal
Co-Chair Earl Gohl. Second row includes Greg DiDonato, OMEGA and
ARC's LDD Director, Dan Neff.  

While in DC, they also had "face time" with legislators and updated
Ohio's newest on programs and services across the region. They also
shared details on the importance of ARC and The Economic Development Administration. Shown above with U.S. Senator, Rob Portman (center)
from left are Kathy Zook of Eastgate and Misty Casto, Executive Director
of Buckeye Hills. Behind are John Hemmings of OVRDC and Greg DiDonato
of OMEGA. 

Shown above is the group with Senator Sherrod Brown.  

The group also met with the offices of Steve Austria, Bob Gibbs and
Bill Johnson in the U.S. House of Representatives. They are shown
above with Rep. Bob Gibbs.

Shown at left with Rep. Bill Johnson. While visiting with him, they
learned he will be moving to Marietta - a more central point in his very
large district.  

Changes at The Ohio Department of Development      

Former Director of the Ohio Department of Development Mark Kvamme is now the Director of Job Creation within Ohio Governor Kasich's office. In his new role, Kvamme will help oversee job creation policy statewide, work with regional economic development partners to enhance job creation and strategies, and help state agencies maximize the economic benefit of their operations.

Gov. Kasich named James Leftwich to head the Department of Development. He has worked at the Dayton Development Coalition for the past six years, including three years as its president and chief executive officer.