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Local advocates urge Butler County voters to renew and increase senior services levy
Summary
Age Friendly Oxford and Oxford Seniors presented details about the Butler County Elderly Services Program, asking voters to approve Issue 1 in November to renew a 1.3‑mill levy and add 0.7 mills to sustain services that help thousands of older adults remain at home.
Jennifer Heston Mullins, an Age Friendly Oxford Elderly Services Program advisory council member and associate director of research at Miami University’s Scripps Gerontology Center, and Emily Lichtke, executive director of Oxford Seniors, appealed to Oxford City Council and the public on behalf of Butler County’s ESP program.
They asked residents to support Issue 1 on the November ballot, a renewal of the existing 1.3‑mill senior services levy together with a 0.7‑mill increase. The presenters said the combined levy would generate approximately $2.02 million annually and cost the owner of a $100,000 home about $50 per year.
The presenters described how ESP provides care management, home‑delivered meals, home care assistance, transportation, adult day services, home safety modifications, emergency response systems and caregiver respite. Mullins said ESP helps more than 4,000 seniors in Butler County stay in their homes and can prevent costly nursing home placements; she contrasted a stated ESP monthly cost to taxpayers of $425 with a cited $8,000 monthly cost for Medicaid nursing‑home care.
Lichtke said Butler County’s population aged 60 and older has grown sharply — she cited a 79% increase in the 60+ population over 20 years and a 50% increase in the 85+ cohort — and that demand for ESP services has risen while federal support has declined. She described tightened eligibility criteria under managed enrollment and gave an example of a person living in Section 8 housing who could not enroll under current thresholds.
Mullins explained that Ohio law requires senior service levies to be renewed by voters at least every five years and said the current levy expires in 2025. The presenters urged Oxford residents to support Issue 1 to maintain the program’s service levels.
They identified the program’s administrative structure: Butler County contracts with the Council on Aging of Southwestern Ohio to administer the program; Lifespan Community First Solutions contracts with the Council on Aging to provide intake and care management; local provider agencies such as Oxford Seniors deliver services; and a volunteer Butler County Elderly Services Advisory Council serves as community advisor.
No vote or formal action by council followed the presentation; the briefing was delivered as public information to encourage voter awareness.
