Developmental Disabilities of Clark County is on the ballot seeking a new property tax to pay for services for a growing disabled population.

The board, formerly known as Clark County MRDD, has placed a new, 1.75-mill, eight-year levy on the November ballot. If the tax is approved, the levy would generate $4 million and cost the owners of a $100,000 home $61.25 a year.

Board Superintendent Jenny Rousculp said the agency has seen a reduction in state funds of about $1.1 million over the past few years, which also affects its ability to receive federal Medicaid dollars.

Without additional local dollars Rousculp said the agency will face a $4.7 million shortfall by 2013 and would make cuts across the board, according to projections by the organization.

“It does make a significant difference in our ability to serve,” she said. “We’ve worked really hard to stretch our dollars.”

The organization operated with about $25.7 million in 2009. Cuts from the state level also resulted in reduced federal money, so its total revenue has dropped to about $21.6 million. About 50 percent of the organization’s budget comes from local tax dollars, while the other half is made up of state and federal tax dollars.

If the levy passes, the organization would operate with about $21 million to $22 million until 2020. The goal, Rousculp said, is to maintain current programming because of population growth — not to add new programs.

The agency recently downsized the F.F. Mueller Residential Center, shifting dollars for people to live in their homes in the community. It also recently reduced staffing by 85 positions through retirements.

Developmental Disabilities of Clark County also sought outside grant funds to offset costs within the organization. It recently received about $500,000 in grant funds to update its transportation fleet.

“We still have to be very tied to being fiscally prudent,” Rousculp said.

The board is on the ballot in hopes of keeping services in tact, Rousculp said. If the levy doesn’t pass, the agency will likely cut money for programs across the board. The organization pays for about 1,000 private sector jobs for both disabled people and the workers who serve them through contracts with organizations like TAC Enterprises and Opportunities for Individual Change, among others.

“It would affect and impact every program we have,” Rousculp said. “Those financial impacts would hit everyone.”

Since 2003, the last time the board was on the ballot, the disabled population has grown from 850 to 1,100 residents in Clark County, according to the board. Meanwhile, some of the parents of the disabled are getting older and won’t be able to give the type of care needed for loved ones, Rousculp said, which will then fall on the board.

“People are living longer,” Rousculp said. “Children with autism and developmental delays are getting diagnosed at a younger age, which is good thing because you can work with the family at a younger age.”

If the levy passes, Rousculp said the board pledges it won’t be back on the ballot until 2020..

United Way Executive Director Doug Lineberger called Springfield a special community that truly cares for children, adults and families with members who have special needs. He said the mission of the board is similar to that of the United Way.

“We share a lot of the same values — improving the lives of people,” Lineberger said.

Mayor Warren Copeland, the co-chair of the campaign, said the program helps these individuals feel as if they’re contributing to the community and helps them live independently — which hasn’t necessarily happened in other communities across the state. He also has a grandson who will need services in the future.

“It’s a major quality of life issue for us as a community,” Copeland said. “We have a proud tradition in this area.”