T-L Photo/GAGE VOTA Belmont County Job and Family Services Director Jeff Felton thanks the commissioners for approving the motion to add the tax reduction levy to the ballot on the upcoming November election.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Belmont County Department of Job and Family Services staff visited the Belmont County Board of Commissioners Wednesday to discuss a proposed levy reduction.

The commissioners voted to approve a motion to adopt a resolution to put a replacement tax for Belmont County Children Services on the Nov. 5 ballot.

“I’ll note that the replacement of the existing 0.65 (mill) levy with a reduction of 0.20 mills to constitute 0.45 mills for the purpose of providing support of Children’s Services and the care and placement of children in Belmont County,” Commissioner Jerry Echemann said.

The motion passed unanimously.

“We urge the public to say ‘yes,’ and we think they will,” Echemann said. “We’ve done this in the past, and the board’s aim here is to come out with a slight reduction on the burden of the taxpayers in terms of Children’s Services without affecting those services in any way.”

Echemann added that both Belmont County Job and Family Services Director Jeff Felton and DJFS Fiscal Administrator Jack Regis Jr. were in attendance at the meeting and were offered the opportunity to add any comments or ask any questions to the commissioners.

“I just appreciate the commissioners putting this on the ballot,” Felton said. “As we said last week, the governor has been really child focused and has significantly increased the funding to the county’s child welfare programs.”

Felton added that Belmont County DJFS is fortunate that residents have continued to support it over the years, which enables Felton and his staff to be able to provide high quality services.

“We’ve got our work to do in terms of letting the public know where the money is going, “ Felton added. “And I know the commissioners have wanted to give the taxpayers some relief, so we’re happy to be a part of that.”

He stressed that although there would be a reduction in funds going toward DJFS but said there will not be a reduction of quality in the work it provides.

Felton then gave the commissioners an update on the Clothes For Kids program.

“As of July 26, we have processed and approved 900 applications involving 1,530 children,” he said. “There will probably be an additional 80 families that the Community Action Commission will fund. And those families are just a little bit over the cutoff, it could even be $5 above the cutoff.”

The program features shopping days offered at the Ohio Valley Mall with Temporary Assistance to Needy Families funds available to serve children whose families meet the requirements of being at or below 150% of the federal poverty level. The funds will be distributed by DJFS in $300 worth of gift cards per child for families to shop at stores at the mall to get the items needed to start the upcoming school year on a positive note.

The program will be on Aug. 12, 13 and 14 from 8 a.m. until the mall closes each day.

“I know you’ve all been there to see the faces of these kids, especially when they get new shoes or new clothes or whatever,” Felton said to the commissioners. “That’s really priceless. You know that Visa or MasterCard commercial about being priceless, well this is really priceless to these kids.”

Echemann asked Felton and Regis if the Clothes for Kids program will run simultaneously with the tax-free holiday that is already underway across the state.

“No it does not,” Felton replied. “We try to stay outside of that holiday so the county benefits. It’s one of those win-win-wins.”