Lucas County commissioners on Tuesday approved a resolution in support of the renewal of the Area Office on Aging of Northwestern Ohio’s 0.75-mill levy and additional 0.25 mills for five years that will be on the ballot in November.
Tom Susor, chairman of the Lucas County Citizen Levy Review Committee, said the levy is needed because of an increase of seniors in the community in need of services.
“The senior population is growing, and the money doesn’t go as far anymore. Seniors are living longer and need more help,” he said.
The levy would generate over $8 million annually if passed.
“There’s 98,000 seniors in Lucas County, the largest number of seniors ever in Lucas County,” Justin Moor, president and CEO of the Area Office on Aging of Northwestern Ohio, said after the meeting. “The population will continue to grow over the course of the levy.”
As the population ages, the chances for disability and dementia increase. “So there’s a need for services like adult day care and home services that are served through levy funds,” Mr. Moor said.
The Lucas County Citizen Levy Review Committee also reviewed a request by the Toledo Lucas County Public Library, which is asking for a 30-year, 1-mill bond issue to fund building renovations and upgrades throughout the county, Mr. Susor said.
“They have much to accomplish. This will finish out their master plan,” he said.
Commissioners will act on a resolution for the bond issue at a future date.
Terri Carroll, director of communications at the Toledo Lucas County Public Library, said after the meeting that the bond issue will generate $153 million over the next 30 years if it passes.
“This will fund improvements at all of our locations except the main library,” she said.
Voters last passed a bond issue for the library in 1995.
“It was for facilities and capital needs for our master plan. We’ve been taking good care of all of our branches and growing and investing where we can. But now the only way to continue to maintain and grow a great library system is to address our capital needs,” said Ms. Carroll.
The Lucas County Citizen Levy Review committee will also revisit a levy request by Lucas County Children Services on Monday after it encountered a glitch picked up through the review process having to do with the timing of the levy, he said. They are asking for the renewal of an expiring 1.8-mill levy, with a 1.5-mill increase.
“We’ll vote on it again and bring it back to commissioners,” Mr. Susor said.
Mr. Susor has been on the committee for 20 years, since its creation.
In the beginning, organizations coming before the committee were unprepared, he said.
“It’s much smoother today than it was when it first started,” he said.
“We have a set of rules we require. We want a five-year budget history, five-year budget projection, and line items showing what they are going to do with the money and how it will be spent. If they are doing a building project, we want to know about energy conservation, what will be done to decrease maintenance costs of a new facility, and make sure sustaining maintenance is built into the project, such as solar fields, to cut costs,” he said.
The committee consists of members from the public and private sector.
“Members ask questions, want an accounting of money already spent. I think they do a good job. They take their jobs seriously. It bodes well for our citizens,” he said.
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