ADDICTION SERVICES LEVY FAILS AGAIN

A Lucas County levy that would have generated millions of dollars for
substance-abuse treatment centers failed yesterday for the third time in
about two years.

Voters rejected a 0.5-mill, five-year levy that would have netted the Lucas
County Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services board $3.8 million annually. In
unofficial results, the levy failed 51.9 percent to 48.1 percent.

The levy would have increased taxes on a $100,000 home by $15.30 a year.

Jay Salvage, executive director of the agency, said he thinks voters can't
get past the idea of lending support to substance abusers. He said he
believes having treatment more readily available benefits society by
helping to keep people working and out of the criminal justice system.

"It's not that much money - 15 bucks for an average household isn't that
much," Mr. Salvage said. "The disappointing thing to me is that we know
that prevention and treatment approaches work."

The primary defeat was larger than the last election. In November, the levy
failed by 1,115 votes - a 50.6 percent to 49.4 percent margin. In March,
2000, voters rejected a 0.35-mill levy by a much larger margin.

Mr. Salvage said he doesn't think the board will put the levy on the ballot
in November, but it's possible voters will see the issue again.