Council agrees to consider endorsing senior center levy, contingent on financials

Baron Black, president of the Sylvania Community Services board, asked Sylvania City Council on Sept. 15 to endorse a ballot issue that would fund the senior center for five years. The center is proposing a new 0.50‑mill levy (Issue 6) after state rules eliminated levy "replacement" filings.

Black told council that the center’s existing 0.42‑mill levy will expire and that the organization seeks a higher 0.50 mill levy to cover growing demand and reduced federal funding. ‘‘A 0.5 levy request would be $18 per $100,000 home value,’’ Black said, contrasting that with the prior levy amount. He described rising participation — 523 new participants in the first months of 2025 — and a drop in Area Office on Aging support that staff estimated could reduce center funding by about $29,000.

Council members thanked Black and discussed logistics for a formal city endorsement. Council agreed that an endorsement would be appropriate given the city’s historical partnership with the senior center, but asked the center to provide updated financial statements and supporting documents. The administration will prepare a resolution endorsing the levy for consideration at the Oct. 6 meeting, conditioned on receipt and review of the financial materials.

Outcome: motion carried to authorize administration to prepare an endorsement resolution contingent on receipt of updated financial documents. The council also indicated several members will provide personal endorsements. No direct city funding was pledged at the meeting.