By JAN McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
As protests against property taxes in Ohio reach a feverish pitch, the Wood County Committee on Aging finds itself in an unenviable position.
The board must pass a renewal levy in November, according to board president Nancy Orel.
The 1-mill levy makes up 73% of the annual budget for the eight senior centers in the county, for the meals delivered to seniors homes across the county, and for programming that helps local seniors age well. Federal funding covers just 7% of the budget.
“It’s key that the levy passes,” Orel told the WCCOA board on Wednesday.
The last time a senior levy was passed in Wood County was five years ago, when the board opted to combine the then existing 0.7-mill levy with an additional 0.3-mill levy. This time around, the board will combine the two levies into one totaling 1 mill, also for five years, Orel explained.
“It’s literally the same thing. It will just look different on the ballot,” she said.
The levy will generate about $3.6 million annually, and cost the owner of a $100,000 home about $27.71 a year. (Though most homes in Wood County are valued at well above $100,000, using that base estimate makes it easy for homeowners to calculate the expected cost for their homes.) That cost is even lower for those seniors with homestead exemptions.
Before going on the ballot, the county commissioners must approve placement of the proposed levy in the November election.
The first levy support for the Wood County Committee on Aging came in 1986 – at just 0.2 mills. Times have changed since then, according to Orel.
Forty years ago, only 8.4% of the county’s population was over age 60. That number has climbed up to 24.9% now, she said.
“The number of older adults in Wood County has risen dramatically,” with seniors over 60 making up a bigger share of the population than children, Orel said.
Board member Charlie Harper asked if a 1-mill levy will meet the needs of the Wood County Committee on Aging. It will have to do, Orel responded.
“To ask for something greater at this point, I would be very very hesitant,” she said.
Across Ohio, 73 of the 88 counties rely on levies for senior services, Orel said. Normally voters are very supportive of levies supporting their senior citizens, she said.
Harper also expressed concern about the cuts to health care coverage, and the effect that may have on seniors. Many could find themselves in need of help with food, he said, asking if the Wood County Committee on Aging can handle the increased demands.
“We’re prepared,” with the production kitchen built to provide up to 1,500 meals a day, said Angie Bradford, who oversees the home-delivered and congregate meals served at the senior centers. Though food costs have increased, Bradford is careful where she purchases food, and works to not have any food waste.
“We will do everything we can to feed everyone who comes to the center,” Harper said, thanking Bradford.
As part of a new effort to have department heads report to the board on a quarterly basis, Director of Social Services Lisa Myers reported on Wednesday. Myers talked about her department’s role in linking seniors with home-delivered meals, providing medical transportation, hosting support groups, organizing minor home repairs, and providing Medicare consultations.
Last year, a total of 13 households were helped with home repairs through two different programs. Myers explained the programs covered repairs involving health or safety concerns, such as installing ramps, grab bars, bathtub cuts, furnace replacements, or replacing rotting flooring.
In other business at the board meeting, WCCOA Executive Director Alisha Nenadovich reported:
- Starting on Jan. 21, the senior center will start taking appointments for its AARP tax return assistance program. The program is for low to moderate income seniors. More than 300 tax returns were prepared last year.
- The basement project is still in the planning phases, with a meeting scheduled later Wednesday afternoon about the sound system for the exercise room.
- The Ability Center will present a program on service animals at the February staff meeting, to train employees on how to handle situations of “emotional support” or “comfort” animals being brought into the senior center. The WCCOA will partner with the Ability Center to schedule trainings at each of the eight senior centers in the county.
- Angie Bradford, assistant director, participated in the Subaru Share the Love event again this year. Last year, the event raised just over $3,000 for the WCCOA.
