SAULT STE. MARIE — This August, Chippewa County voters will decide whether or not to support continued funding for community senior services.
The Chippewa Luce Mackinac Community Action Agency supports dozens of programs and services throughout the eastern Upper Peninsula. Even though half of the funding for their services comes from federal or state sources, they still heavily rely on millage funding.
During the primary election on Aug. 6, voters in Chippewa County will decide on funding for the county's branch of senior services. The programs include small cost services such as a loan closet, but the services most dependent on the millage are food-related, such as Meals on Wheels.
Officials said the Meals on Wheels service is more than just food delivery. For some senior residents, it's the only interaction they have all day and delivery drivers are often trained to conduct a wellness check.
"Meals on Wheels is the biggest in terms of funding, but it's also really important for seniors, not just to get their nutritional value, but to get that social value that you get when you see other people. It's nutritional and it's mental," said Joe Nolan, executive director of the community action agency.
In one year, the program serves over 1,000 meals to seniors in the community. This is also the only Meals on Wheels program in the Upper Peninsula that does not have a waitlist, and they are only capable of not including the waitlist because of the funding they receive.
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Other senior services that the millage funds include congregate meals where senior citizens can come to share a meal and an adult daycare program, which is designed to help family members of senior citizens with dementia, Alzheimer's or other mental disorders that can make it more difficult for them to live a normal life unsupervised.
County funding is separated from the other sources, so Chippewa County taxpayers will only be contributing to services in Chippewa County.
The millage proposal is not an increase but a renewal of the same millage that was voted on years ago. Last time the community action agency had a millage on the ballot it was an increase, and with that increase they were able to expand their services and open new locations, which are all still in operation.
The exact language of the ballot reads: "Shall the tax limitation imposed under Article IX, Section 6 of the Michigan Constitution on general ad valorem taxes within Chippewa County, Michigan be renewed at .75 mill ($0.75 per $1,000 of taxable value) for a period of four years, being 2025, 2026, 2027 and 2028, inclusive for the purpose of providing operating funds to continue and enhance Chippewa County Community Action Agency’s Meals Programs and Chippewa County Community Action Agency’s Senior Services in Chippewa County, thereby raising in the first year (2025) an estimated $989,000?"
— Contact Brendan Wiesner: BWiesner@Sooeveningnews.com
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