By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Local voters proved once again Tuesday that they appreciate their parks and they care about senior citizens.
The Bowling Green Parks and Recreation 2-mill, five-year levy passed by a healthy 69 percent, with a vote of 8,545 to 3,802.
And the Wood County Committee on Aging’s renewal of a 0.7-mill, five-year levy for senior services passed by a solid 76 percent, with a vote of 46,428 to 14,760.
“We’re very thankful for our citizens who have traditionally supported parks,” said Kristin Otley, director of the Bowling Green Parks and Recreation Department. “They understand it’s a quality of life issue.”
Bowling Green Parks and Recreation Department plans to use the levy funds to maintain the park lands, facilities and programs already in place. Passage of the levy will allow the city to catch up with maintenance work, like replacing roofs on park buildings.
“Now we know for the next five years what we have coming in,” Otley said.
The city has 11 parks covering 373 acres – well above the national average for a community this size. Those public parks were one of the biggest factors in Bowling Green recently being ranked one of the top 10 places in the nation to raise a family. The parks offer a variety of settings: Garden, nature, athletic and passive.
The levy will cost the owner of a $100,000 home in the city $61.25 a year. That is $18.25 more a year than the previous levy.
The parks and recreation department had not asked for increased levy millage for 16 years. But during those 16 years, the parks have done a lot of growing, with additions such as Simpson Building and Garden Park, City Pool and Waterpark, Community Center, Ridge Park, Skatepark, Dunbridge Soccer Fields, BG Athletic Fields, Black Swamp Preserve, more trails at Wintergarden, and expanded programming for fitness, aquatics and other events.
“We’re feeling great,” said Jeff Crawford, president of the city parks and recreation board. “The citizens of Bowling Green came through for us again.”
“I think the citizens have spoken loud and clear – they love their parks,” Crawford said.
That same love was being felt at the senior center as the election results rolled in.
Denise Niese, executive director of the Wood County Committee on Aging, credited the services provided for the continued voter support.
“It’s the quality programs and services we deliver on a regular basis,” Niese said. “People expect a certain level of services from us and we are able to deliver.”
The Wood County Committee on Aging’s mission is to help local senior citizens stay independent and involved. That means providing meals, transportation and social activities for the growing gray population of the county.
“Our goal is that every senior is served. We make it happen, no matter what,” Niese said.
And younger voters realize the importance of supporting the levy for seniors. “They realize they may need it themselves someday,” she said.
Nearly 20 percent of the county’s population are senior citizens. That number is about 25,400 now, and is expected to explode to 32,000 when the baby boomers reach senior citizen status.
The Committee on Aging serves many of those older adults at the seven senior centers in the county, in Bowling Green, Perrysburg, North Baltimore, Pemberville, Rossford, Walbridge and Wayne. Seniors are offered meals, transportation, social interaction and education programs for those who aren’t done learning.
More than 126,000 meals are delivered annually to 900 individual homes of senior citizens throughout the county. And for those able to get to the senior centers, about 70,000 meals are provided to more than 2,200 seniors a year.
The levy passed Tuesday adds up to $19.31 a year for the owner of a home valued at $100,000.
Voters realize the Committee on Aging is fiscally responsible, according to Jim Stainbrook, director of fiscal and facility operations.
“I think people believe we are good stewards of the funds we are entrusted with,” Stainbrook said.
