Bobby Hamlin, chairperson for the Adams, Lawrence, Scioto Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services (ADAMHS) Board was at this past Thursday’s commission meeting speaking about a levy on this year’s general election ballot for all Lawrence County voters.

The 1.5 mill levy, which will appear on all ballots in the three counties, will help keep service for alcohol, drug and mental health open, place prevention programs in high schools and junior highs, keep the board’s hotline crisis center open, which has taken more than 5,000 calls since the beginning of the year and 665 calls in September alone, and possibly give Lawrence County a family crisis center of its own, if passed.

The levy is for 10 years, which will generate $4 million.

“We’re trying to pass this levy because the state keeps cutting our money,” Hamlin said. “When we started, we had $20 million in our budget. Now we have about $4 million.”

Hamlin added that for every dollar spent for the ADAMHS Board saves $7 in other departments, such as courts, jails and departments of job and family services.

The board has 14 members, consisting of all volunteers, and is based in Portsmouth.

For more information on the ADAMHS Board, visit www.adamhsals.org.

Also at commission, the commissioners:

• Approved and signed the weekly invoices and certificates as presented by the Auditor’s office.

• Received and filed the dog warden’s report dated Sept. 17 and Sept. 24.

• Approved 21 transfer funds.

• Approved four appropriate funds.

• Approved Commission President Les Boggs to sign the emergency action plan for the Pine Creek Structure No. 8.

• Received and filed the public notice for Wayne National Forest for a proposed 2.7 miles of new horse trail within the Vesuvius Horse Trail system and to decommission approximately .09 of trail.