Vote YES on November 3
On November 3, 2026, Delaware County voters will decide on a 1.8 mill levy for the Delaware County Board of Developmental Disabilities — replacing the previous 2.0 mill levy, whose collection expires this year. This isn't a brand new tax; it's the continuation of local support that's kept essential services running for over 2,300 children and adults with developmental disabilities and their families across our county for decades.Â
What it costs:
About $63/year — just $5.25/month — per $100,000 of the Auditor's assessed value of your home
What it funds:
-
Early Intervention for infants and toddlers with developmental delays
-
Family Support Services that keep people connected to their communities
-
Service and Support Administration (case management) that helps individuals and families coordinate care, and the required local Medicaid match that unlocks state and federal dollars for direct services such as:
-
Personal care and daily living supports, like assistance with bathing, getting dressed, cooking meals, and toileting
-
Employment and job retention supports, such as skills training and on-site coaching
-
Home accessibility and safety modifications, including ramps, transfer lifts, and hand controls for vehicles
-
Transportation and community participation supports to remove barriers that many people face in being a part of all that Delaware County has to offer
-
Every dollar stays right here in Delaware County, supporting our neighbors, coworkers, and friends with disabilities.
Â
Without this levy, nearly all funding for these services stops December 31, 2026.
This would be catastrophic for people with developmental disabilities, their families, providers, and our community. Vote YES on November 3!
Why Focus on Abilities Exists
Every person in Delaware County deserves the chance to live a full life — to work, to connect, to contribute, and to be seen for what they can do, not what they can't.
Focus on Abilities exists because that belief requires more than good intentions. It requires resources, commitment, and a community willing to stand up for its most vulnerable neighbors.
The People Behind
the Mission
More than 2,300 Delaware County residents live with intellectual and developmental disabilities. They are our neighbors, coworkers, family members, and friends. Many rely on the services provided by the Delaware County Board of Developmental Disabilities, services that provide job coaching, life skills support, residential assistance, and pathways to independence. These services don't fund themselves.
Why the Levy Matters
DCBDD is funded in large part by property taxes — a direct investment by Delaware County voters in the people who call this community home. Without that funding, programs are eliminated. Waitlists grow. Families are left to navigate an already complex system with even fewer options.
Focus on Abilities was formed to make sure that doesn't happen.
We exist to educate voters, build community support, and advocate for the levy that keeps critical services alive and expanding. We believe Delaware County is the kind of place that takes care of its own — and we're here to make that case.
What We Stand For
People over politics. This isn't a partisan issue. It's a community issue. The needs of people with developmental disabilities don't align with any party — they align with our shared values as neighbors.
Voters deserve to know exactly how levy dollars are used and what's at stake. We're committed to honest, straightforward conversations about funding, services, and impact.
Dignity. Every dollar raised through the levy is an investment in the dignity and independence of a real person in Delaware County. We don't take that lightly.
Our Sponsors
Platinum Sponsors
Gold Sponsors
Silver Sponsors
.jpg)
