With just over a month before he takes office, Gov.-elect Mike DeWine spoke to the leaders of the state’s 88 counties – who plan to pressure him for more funding in the upcoming budget process.
Counties say state cuts have cost them $351 million for each of the last ten years. And though DeWine told the commissioners he knows the hits they’ve taken with budget cuts and the opioid crisis, he never promised to bring it back.
“I was very careful during the campaign not to say that I’m going to restore the local government fund to a certain level. What I have said is that we’re going to be a good partner. We want to work with you,” DeWine told the winter gathering of the County Commissioners Association of Ohio and the County Engineers Association of Ohio.
DeWine says he’s committing more money for local children’s services and will expanding some foster care and adoption pilot programs from his attorney general’s office. He also says he’ll work with sheriffs to help them with multi-jurisdictional drug task forces.
