By Andrew Walsh
awalsh@wbcowqel.com
The Crawford County Council on Aging saw its levy passed in Tuesday’s election. This levy contained a renewal of the 0.8 mils that have been on the books for the last five years and 0.2 mils of new money.
Going into election night, the 0.8 mills was the single largest source of funding for the Council. The budget for this organization goes toward funding the services this group provides. Among these are the Council on Aging public transport service, home delivery of meals, and general support services.
Of these, the public transport service occupies the largest portion of the budget. The group runs a fleet of 11 vans, of which seven to eight are typically on the road.
Peg Wells, of the Council on Aging, wanted to clarify about the number of vehicles seen in the group’s parking lot. Members of the community have commented that more than 11 vehicles are in that parking lot. Wells said that this is true because when a vehicle no longer fits the state standards for transporting people, these vehicles are moved on to food delivery.
The reason for the 0.2 mill of new money is that the 0.8 passed five years ago is not bringing in the money that was projected. Lower property values have contributed to this. Also, the over-80 age group is the fastest growing segment of the senior citizen population. This age group is also the most likely to be in need of services to remain in their homes. These two factors coming together have necessitated the need for new funds.
Wells was very happy at the passage of the levy. The sustaining of old money and addition of new means that the group can continue to provide the services that the senior citizens of Crawford County need.
“I’m just so grateful to the community for having that kind of faith in us,” Wells said.