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County will issue Mental Health Services $5 million in bonds

Agency plans to relocate the agency’s facility near the new hospital.

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By Tiffany Y. Latta, Staff Writer 10:21 PM Tuesday, December 6, 2011

SPRINGFIELD — Clark County commissioners unanimously agreed to issue $5 million in revenue bonds to Mental Health Services of Clark and Madison counties to help the organization relocate near the new hospital.

Mental Health Services plans to build a 31,000-square-foot community mental health facility, 474 N. Yellow Springs St., and requested commissioners issue the bonds to help lower the interest rates on the project.

The bonds allow the organization to use the county’s tax-exempt status, which will cut the bond interest rate on financing the $11 million project by one-third, officials said.

MHS Director James Perry said the bonds will allow the organization to get an interest rate of about 4 percent for 20 years on the building that will serve as an inpatient, outpatient, day hospital and emergency services psychiatric facility.

“We’ve been in our current building for 40 years. We’ll now have the most modern patient safety equipment. We’re very appreciative of (the commissioners’) support,” Perry said.

County Administrator Nathan Kennedy said that although the bonds are issued using the county’s tax status, the county is not liable for any payments on the MHS building.

MHS is currently located at 1345 N. Fountain Blvd., where county commissioners own two parcels of land, including the land the mental health facility is built on.

Perry said MHS had to move after Springfield Regional Medical Center relocated to its campus off East North Street to remain in close proximity to the hospital and because while the county owns the land MHS is currently on, the building is deeded to the Clark County Hospital Commission.

Mental Health Services has 250 employees, and officials estimate the agency helps about 5,000 Clark County residents annually with issues ranging from mild depression to suicidal schizophrenia.

In addition to issuing bonds to MHS, commissioners also approved giving county employees an additional paid holiday this year on Dec. 23.

The county has more than 1,200 employees and saves up to $5,000 in utility costs per day with the county offices closed; it costs more than $63,800 a day to pay general fund employees, according to the Clark County Auditor’s Office.

County employees were also granted a personal day on Nov. 25 in addition to 10 other paid holidays.

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