- Dr. Mary Ramey, Lebanon
In Ohio, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) rely on services to live, work, and thrive in their communities. But a shortage of direct support professionals, driven by insufficient Medicaid and Vocational Rehabilitation (which specifically help people find and keep jobs) payment rates and impending funding cuts, continues to threaten the existence of these services.
In its recently released report, ANCOR, the leading national voice for providers of community-based services for people with I/DD, details the severity of this direct support workforce crisis. With turnover rates stuck near 40% and vacancy rates hovering between 12-15% nationally, the impact on access to services has intensified.
Most worryingly, 52% of providers are now considering further program cuts if recruitment and retention challenges continue, a dramatic increase from just 34% in 2024. Add on the looming threat of federal Medicaid funding cuts passed by Congress earlier this year and the loss of COVID-era funding that bolstered wages and benefits for care workers, it will be nearly impossible for providers to stem the tide of workers leaving the field.
As a provider of these services, I know firsthand that the Dayton community is better when it includes everyone — regardless of their disability. If Senators Husted and Moreno and Representative Turner agree that our community is stronger when it includes people with disabilities, they must commit to investing in Medicaid and Vocational Rehabilitation services to alleviate the current workforce crisis and ensure the long-term viability of community-based supports for people with I/DD.
- Justin Blumhorst, Dayton
Another shooting. Another short-term rental. Another Ohio neighborhood shaken.
The recent incident in Summit County’s Bath Township — where multiple people were shot during a party at an Airbnb rental — is a sobering reminder that despite company policies and promises, enforcement often falls short and communities are left to deal with the consequences. This is the second shooting at an Airbnb in Bath Township since 2017.
When Airbnb issues it global party ban in 2002, they acknowledged that “strong policies must be complemented by strong enforcement.” That enforcement is most effectively carried out by local governments — the entities closest to the neighborhoods affected.
That is why the Ohio Legislature’s ongoing consideration of Senate Bill 104 and House Bill 109 is so alarming. These bills would prohibit municipalities from enacting or enforcing their own local ordinances around short-term rentals.
In our testimony on Senate Bill 104, the Ohio Municipal League warned that this proposal strips away the ability of cities and villages to respond to urgent public safety needs. Local officials are best positioned to understand neighborhood dynamics and address bad actors in real time.
Tragedies that have taken place in Bath Township, Columbus and elsewhere make clear that state preemption would take away critical tools for protecting residents. Local governments need flexibility — not a one-size-fits-all law that favors corporate platforms over community safety.
We urge lawmakers to listen to the communities they represent. Preserve local authority. Keep neighborhoods safe. Reject preemptions that take away local decision-making on short-term rentals.
- Kent Scarrett, Executive Director of the Ohio Municipal League
Credit: JIM NOELKER
Credit: JIM NOELKER
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