Issue 8: Levy funds half the budget of Lorain County Drug Task Force

Lorain County voters are being asked to renew Issue 8, an 0.08-mill criminal justice levy on the Nov. 8 ballot, to support the Lorain County Drug Task Force. The drug task force, run out of the Lorain County Sheriff's Office, has an approximately $1 million budget. This levy provides more than half — $566,000 annually. A portion of the levy also supports the Lorain County SWAT Team. If passed by voters, the levy would start collection in 2024. It will not raise taxes and will cost the owner of a $100,000 home about $1.87 annually. Task force commander Maj. Don Barker told commissioners earlier this year that there are more than 40 regional or county task forces in Ohio competing for federal grants and support to combat the illegal drug trade and lessen the number of overdoses in the state. The Lorain County task force works with local police agencies, the DEA, FBI, and Homeland Security Investigations on large-scale drug trafficking investigations. The drug task force also does anti-drug education, and is part of a Quick Response Team. On a QRT team, officers and social services representatives visit people within 72 hours of a non-fatal overdose to offer them recovery and other services. Contact Dave O'Brien at (440) 329-7129 or dobrien@chroniclet.com. Follow him on Twitter @DaveOBrienCT.