T-L Photos/GAGE VOTA Mental Health and Recovery Board for Belmont, Harrison and Monroe Counties associate director Patricia Allen asks Shadyside village council for its support on the mental health renewal levy that will be on the upcoming Nov. 4 ballot.

SHADYSIDE — With elections coming up on Nov. 4, Patricia Allen, associate director for the Mental Health and Recovery Board for Belmont, Harrison and Monroe counties, sought Shadyside village council’s support Monday for the Belmont County renewal levy.

She said that the 1.25 mill renewal levy will not raise taxes for county residents.

“The levy dollars allow us to support innovative programming, not just the basic core services for behavioral health,” Allen said.

She added that the levy funds the Belmont County CARES program, which answered nearly 7,000 calls for assistance and visited nearly 700 homes in 2024.

The levy also funds a 24-hour crisis hotline, mobile crisis response, civil commitment hearings, hospital access, detox withdrawal management, transportation to medical facilities, and youth programs.

Allen said the need for mental health and substance use services has drastically increased in the county.

“Unfortunately, the number of suicides this calendar year has significantly increased from the previous two years. We’re very concerned about that,” Allen said.

She said she has seen one positive — a decrease in overdoses in the county, which she believes is in part of BelHarmon’s detox withdrawal program, located at 124 S. Lincoln Ave. in Barnesville.

She added that Belharmon provides medically monitored withdrawal management programs for residents of Belmont, Harrison and Monroe counties.

“If somebody needs to withdraw for drugs and alcohol, they can call there,” Allen said. “They can safely withdraw, and then they’re connected to services and support.

She said if the renewal levy doesn’t pass, the programs it funds will not be able to continue.

Council member Melanie Haswell said that she sees the need of mental health services in the community, especially in high school-aged children. Council member Lisa Duvall echoed Haswell’s comments, adding that Belmont County has seen a rise in suicides in not only adults, but children as well.

“The Mental Health and Recovery Board does so much out in the community to break the stigma about mental health and accessing those services,” Duvall said.

All council members present Monday — Sam Carpino was absent from the meeting — voiced their support for the renewal levy.

New Life Fellowship Pastor Joel Traylor then asked council for approval of Christmas in the Loop. During Monday evening’s regularly scheduled meeting, Traylor told council that it’s almost time to get into the holiday spirit once again.

He said that he is planning for a tree lighting ceremony to be on Nov. 25 and the Christmas parade to be on Dec. 5. The tree lighting ceremony is set for 7 p.m. but he is requesting the village close the historic loop from 5;30-8:30 p.m.

Traylor said the parade would start lining up at 6 p.m. in front of Shadyside High School and would get underway once all of the,participating floats line up. The route will be the entirety of the village’s historic Loop section of Central Avenue from 36th Street to the Shadyside Public Library.

“We’ve tried to move it, but we also try to coordinate the parade with other towns and different communities along the river where they can’t necessarily make it,” Traylor said. “So we’re stuck with Friday this year, but we are trying to move it to a Saturday. If we get it out there first next year, we might be able to do that.”

He added that residents really like the parade being a night parade and he wants to keep the parade being at night. Traylor said that, once he gets permission from council, he will be able to inform the public that he is asking for float participation in this year’s parade.

All council members present Monday voted to approve Traylor to go forward with the Christmas Tree lighting on Nov. 25 and Christmas parade on Dec 5.