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Elderly
Services Levy on Primary Ballot,
Replacement
Levy would Generate Additional $296,000 Annually
By
Jeff Hibbs, Wilmington
News Journal
Apr 16, 2003
|
Virginia
Pitzer [foreground] and Betty Wilt stuff mailers that will be sent to
county residents by the Clinton County Citizens for Elderly Services levy
campaign.
Local voters will cast ballots May 6 on a
five-year 1.19 mill elderly services replacement levy. The levy is the
only countywide ballot issue in the Clinton County primary.
According
to campaign manager Teresa Lubic, the levy would replace the current
1-mill levy that received a 60-percent voter approval in its first
appearance on the local ballot in 1998.
"It
expires at the end of 2003, and due to the increasing demands in Clinton
County and the growing population in Clinton County, we’re asking for a
little bit more money."
The
current levy generated $623,000 in 2002, while the replacement levy would
generate approximately $919,000 annually, Clinton County Auditor Wanda
Armstrong said. The auditor said the increased millage would represent an
annual $15 tax increase for the owner of a $100,000 property.
Lubic
said the local levy is essential to the maintenance of crucial services to
a growing senior segment. According to the 2000 census, the county’s age
75-84 population increased 17 percent in the previous decade, while the 85
and older population increased 13 percent.
"More
and more people want to stay in their homes," Lubic said. "The
nursing home costs are skyrocketing. You compare the costs of a nursing
home stay with the costs of an in-home stay — there’s no comparison
whatsoever. You’re looking at 200-and-some dollars versus over $4,000 a
month in a nursing home. This just gives people the opportunity to stay in
their homes longer, to avoid nursing home placement."
According
to literature from the levy campaign, the county’s elderly services
program delivered more than 47,000
meals
to local residents in 2002, provided more than 2,900
hours
of personal care assistance, respite care, adult day
care
and transportation, medical transportation, emergency response systems,
home medical equipment and supplies and responded to more than 20,000
information and assistance requests.
"They
don’t have waiting lines. They’re able to meet the needs of everybody
who needs services in this county," Lubic said. "You can’t
depend on Medicaid. Medicaid is currently being cut at the federal level
by enormous amounts. This program kind of fills in the gaps where people
can’t get services. It’s available for anybody who’s 60 or older.
Even if you do make a decent
income
or you have a decent retirement, you still can be eligible for services.
It’s all income-based, and you may have to pay something on a sliding
scale fee, but you’re still eligible for Meals on Wheels or something
like that. It doesn’t eliminate anyone."
Two
obstacles Lubic and other campaign workers face are the request for
additional tax dollars and an economy mired in an extended downturn.
"It
is a tougher sell than it was the last time, definitely," Lubic said.
"But we’re very confident that it’s been an excellent program,
that Clinton County is a growing county and seniors still use the program
and need the program. We feel that it will pass.
"And
senior vote is your biggest vote. We feel that we do have the seniors on
our side. It’s an excellent program — it’s run well, it’s managed
well and the seniors are behind it."
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