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Council on Aging urges Butler County to renew and increase senior services levy to meet growing demand
Summary
Council on Aging of Southwestern Ohio presented Butler County commissioners with demographic data and a proposal to renew the existing 1.3‑mill levy and add a 0.7‑mill increase, which agency leaders say would raise total annual revenue to about $20.2 million and eliminate managed enrollment that currently turns away clients.
Suzanne Burke, chief executive officer of the Council on Aging of Southwestern Ohio, told Butler County commissioners on May 28 that the agency is recommending voters be asked to renew a 1.3‑mill senior services levy and approve a 0.7‑mill increase to address rising demand from older residents.
Burke said the levy funds the Elderly Services Program (ESP) and Fast Track Home services that help older adults remain in their homes and avoid nursing‑home placement. She told commissioners that the levy is the "payer of last resort" for many low‑income clients and that program participants are typically older adults with multiple chronic conditions and limited incomes.
Ken Wilson, vice president of programs and business operations for the Council on Aging, presented county demographic analysis and fiscal projections. Wilson said the levy currently generates about $10.9 million annually; the recommended renewal plus increase would add roughly $9.5 million, producing about $20.2 million per year, according to the auditor's office figures cited in the presentation. He said the increase would cost roughly $24.50 per year for a homeowner on a $100,000 valuation and would eliminate the agency's managed enrollment, which has led to service denials.
Why it matters: Butler County's population aged 60 and older has grown substantially and a faster rise is expected in the 85+ cohort, Wilson said. The Council on Aging and its consultants at the Scripps Gerontology Center at Miami University supplied projections showing the 60+ population will continue to increase and that the county must expand capacity to avoid cutting services. Commissioners asked about program details, cost drivers and whether the agency could manage growth without a levy increase.
Burke described cost‑control efforts the agency has implemented, including contract changes that reduced emergency response costs by 49% compared with market rates, a laundry delivery service that reduced per‑client weekly costs compared with home health aides, and enrollment of eligible clients into Medicare Advantage benefits when available; she said those efforts saved the levy about $120,000 in 2024.
Wilson and Burke also explained eligibility and managed‑enrollment rules adopted in February 2024 to align demand with available levy funds. Under the tightened criteria, priority is given to people actively receiving cancer or dialysis treatment, hospice or palliative care patients, active adult protective service cases, people discharging from hospitals or skilled facilities within seven days, and certain emergency meal needs. Burke said the agency served 4,079 clients in the year noted in her remarks; later in the presentation Wilson referenced 4,092 clients—the presentation materials and staff comments reflect both figures.
Commissioner questions focused on the gap created by managed enrollment, whether the proposed increase would cover future growth in demand, regulatory changes that lowered meal program costs, and broader property‑tax pressures on seniors. Commissioners expressed support for the agency's work and urged continued advocacy with state legislators on funding and property‑tax policy.
No vote was taken; Council on Aging staff said they came to present options and answer commissioner questions as the agency prepares for a levy proposal to be placed on the ballot under Ohio law.
