By Krystal Smalley
ksmalley@wbcowqel.com
To keep up with costs and an aging population, the Council of Aging will be going to the ballots in November.
Crawford County Council on Aging Director Peg Wells met with the county commissioners Tuesday afternoon to review the agency’s request for a 0.2 mil levy.
Wells explained to the commissioners that the population of those 60 years and older is expected to grow by 8 percent in a five-year period. She countered that, however, with the improvements in healthcare, which have allowed an aging population to heal better and live in their homes longer than many people could have 40 years ago.
Wells said the concern lies with those who are 75 years old and older. Council on Aging has seen an increase in that age group signing up for their services.
“As that increases, there’s more need,” said Wells.
In order to keep up with an increasing aging demographic that is still able to live at home, Wells believed they would need more people and more transportation.
The last Council on Aging levy was passed in 2010. The 0.8-mil levy at the time was expected to help generate funds but the tanking economy soon put a wrench in the plans. Wells said they currently are not collecting what was expected back in 2010.
The Council on Aging will be asking for a renewal of the 0.8 mil levy plus an additional 0.2 mil.
“We knew just a renewal wasn’t going to do it,” Wells said.
“Our current levy will expire and so we need to pass it in order to be able to continue to provide the services we’re currently doing,” explained Wells. “Why the additional 0.2 mil? It’s as we said: so we have enough funding hopefully to cover and expand our services for the expanding population that we serve.”
Commissioner Steve Reinhard asked Wells if they knew how long the money would be able to last with the projected increase in the population.
“We’re hoping to get through the next levy cycle,” Wells said. “Things are changing quickly that it’s hard to guess (where they’ll be).”