Dear families, individuals, and community members,   I am writing to share the difficult news that our fiscal emergency has forced us to make serious cuts to our staff and operations. Beginning July 1 and phasing afterward, we will be eliminating 24% of our staff (31 positions in total) as well as turning over operations of our facility to the Butler County Commissioners. This, combined with our previous cost-saving measures, generates around $8.4 million in savings.   These cuts affect positions in every department and span from director to entry-level with the greatest shift impacting managerial and senior staff. The people who hold these positions are deeply valued members of our organization. They have worked hard to fulfill our mission in support of people with developmental disabilities; the decision to make these cuts was incredibly difficult. Our board only approved these changes after all other potential relief options were exhausted.   We recognize that these changes will create gaps in our service delivery and we ask for your patience as we adjust. Please know that we are committed to providing the same excellent level of service.   These changes will occur even with the passage of the 2.0 mills continuous levy on the May ballot. This is a necessary adjustment as we find even more conservative ways of operating under a constrained budget. Making these changes creates fiscal stability and allows us to confidently remain off the ballot for the coming years. This is an important step in maintaining public trust while preserving our ability to provide necessary services to you and your community.   As a part of our restructuring, both our eligibility team and our MUI investigation team (protective services for adults with developmental disabilities) will be eliminated and will now operate at the Southwestern Ohio Council of Governments. While these state-mandated services will continue under our oversight, they will no longer be provided directly by the Board. We have also transferred operations of the Janet Clemmons Center to the Butler County Commissioners. While we’ll still occupy a portion of the building, operations will be managed by the county commissioners. Other changes to our staffing structure will occur internally and should not have a great impact on you.   While this decision was difficult, I believe this creates stability so that our focus can remain on you. We are driven by the goal of providing excellent support to everyone in our community with developmental disabilities. We will work hard to keep you informed as we navigate this transition.    Sincerely,

Lee Ann Emmons, Superintendent  Butler County Board of Developmental Disabilities