City of Belgrade proposes mill levy to support its senior center

BELGRADE — As the City of Belgrade continues to grow, so do the needs of its seniors. That’s why the city is asking for a permanent levy to help support the Belgrade Senior Center.

"Figuring out how to walk through life at this stage is just as important as figuring out when you're 20 what life looks like," says center manager Lisa Beedy, "because the backdrop for these people really changes as they lose spouses or are trying to figure out if they can stay in their homes."

Beedy says they focus mainly on nutrition--delivering Meals on Wheels and offering lunch to its seniors daily.

But she says they try to attract younger seniors too, offering fitness classes for active lifestyles and even courses on topics like recognizing scams.

"And so, creating a senior center that is vibrant and has opportunities for every single type of personality to find their place is critical," says Assistant City Manager Greg Tryon.

Tryon says the city took the Senior Center under its wing two years ago, originally placing its operational costs within the general fund—something they’ve now outgrown as costs increase.

"The general fund grows at a really defined and slow rate; costs obviously increase faster than that. Just in the last year, food costs have increased by 50%," Tryon says.

In addition to the cost of food, Lisa tells me the center needs more employees—to continue operating in a way that she says, "keeps seniors living, not just aging."

That’s why the city is asking to place a permanent 8-mill levy on November’s ballot.

"So, what that means is for a $300,000 home that is roughly $32.40 a year. So, $2.70 a month is what we’re asking for," specified Tryon.

Beedy says, "This mill levy will help us to continue providing the quality of service and help us with the increased quantity for the time being."

"These people speak good wisdom into our lives, and we see them as such a resource that is not tapped into like it should be," she adds.

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