Hancock County voters will have the opportunity to renew the Hancock County Sheltered Workshop Levy in the upcoming election. The Workshop was founded in 1958 and County voters have approved every Levy that has come before them since 1992. Michael Hagg, executive director of the Workshop, stresses that this simply a renewal of the Levy which is set to expire and no new cost to the property owner is involved. The Levy provides $250,000.00 per year to the Workshop or $1million over the four-year duration of the Levy. The average cost of the Levy to a property owner is $5 per month,
The Sheltered Workshop currently has 52 clients working at the facility and 21 staff members. The Workshop is dedicated to providing training and job opportunity for individuals with disabilities, be they physical or mental. Clients also attend Life Skills classes which provides them with the ability to cope with day-to-day tasks. Currently the Workshop operates a laundry which contracts with large businesses like the hospital or Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack & Resort and smaller businesses.
The Workshop operates 5 days a week and some of the clients work 5 days while others may work less depending on their situation. Hagg points out that the clients of the workshop are not only getting a weekly paycheck, but also the opportunity to feel a sense of pride in their work.
The levy will require a 60 percent majority to pass. The Election is slated for November 5 with early voting commencing Oct 23 at the Courthouse.
