COA has a pair of levies on the ballot

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

Just two of the 15 issues on the November 4 ballot in Van Wert County are countywide issues, and both are senior citizen levies.

The Council on Aging has placed a pair of replacement levies on the fall ballot – a .25 mill levy and a .20 mill levy, with Delphos Senior Citizens receiving 16 percent of the .20 mill levy.

Appearing at this week’s Meet the Candidates event, sponsored by the Van Wert Chamber of Commerce, COA Executive Director Kevin Matthews noted the private, non-profit agency is in its 50^th year and he said it was originally funded through the Older Americans Act. However, those funds ceased within a couple of years, meaning a new source of revenue was needed to continue offering services to older adults.

He said the agency’s current annual budget is approximately $525,000 but this year the current levy brought in $303,000, all while the COA deals witn inflation and increased needs. Overall, about 60 percent of COA’s budget comes from levy dollars, with the remaining amount generated via fundraisers and contributions. The Council on Aging does not receive any funding from the county or the city and no direct funding from the state or federal government.

Van Wert County’s population totals approximately 28,000 and just under 8,000 are senior citizens.

“A lot of those people come to us, they need transportation services, we operate the senior center, we have chore services in the home, outside chore services and Medicare assistance,” Matthews explained. “We don’t charge for services and a lot of people ask why we don’t charge – if we put in place a fee for services, it really just excludes the primary group of people that we assist, which are just seniors that are struggling to get by.”

Transportation is the biggest need in the community, according to Matthews, and he said the COA transports seniors up to 50 miles for appointments, with some of the levies funds going toward that service. 

The owner of a $100,000 home would pay about $16 annually and $32 annually for the owner of a $200,000 house.

“It’s a good value,” Matthews stated. “If you look across the state, 78 counties have senior citizen levies and this county is the second lowest in the State of Ohio per capita of people. If you look at some of the neighboring counties – Paulding has a 1-mill levy, Williams County has a 1.75 mill levy, Putnam County has a 1-mill levy, Auglaize has a .85 mill levy, so you’re getting good value for the services they’re getting.”

Matthews added than anyone 60 or older in the county benefits from the levy.