County elderly-services presenters tell Middletown council voters face cutoff if levy fails

MIDDLETOWN, Ohio — Sean Cowan and Nan Cahall of the Council on Aging of Southwestern Ohio presented the annual report on the Butler County Elderly Services Program (ESP) to Middletown City Council on Oct. 21 and urged support for a county levy on the Nov. 4 ballot.

Cowan said ESP helped more than 4,000 older adults in Butler County in 2024, roughly 900 of whom live in Middletown, and that demand is now outpacing resources. "This makes ESP both compassionate and cost effective," Cowan said, adding the program provides in-home services that keep older adults independent and out of nursing homes.

The nut of the presentation: the current senior services levy that funds ESP expires at year-end, and voters will see Issue 1 on the Nov. 4 ballot. The proposal would renew the existing 1.3-mill levy and add 0.7 mill. Presenters said the increase would cost homeowners about $50 per $100,000 of property value annually — roughly $4 per month — and that more than 80% of the program’s funding currently comes from the Butler County Senior Services tax levy.

Council on Aging staff described both the program’s clients and its cost-savings. Cowan recounted a case study from the annual report about a couple who use consumer-directed care and home-delivered meals, and said that providing in-home services averages about $425 per month compared with about $8,000 per month for Medicaid-funded nursing-home care. Cowan said ESP’s goal is to keep people at home; he warned that, if the levy does not pass, "the program will no longer function."

Presenters also said ESP has managed enrollment and has had to turn away hundreds of eligible seniors in the past year. The program’s eligibility begins at age 60 and serves people who need help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, cooking and transportation. ESP operates under a contract run by the Council on Aging in partnership with Butler County and local service providers; some clients participate in cost sharing depending on resources.

City Manager Ashley Combs introduced the presentation and invited questions from council. Council members asked clarifying questions during the presentation; presenters said the proposed levy amount was chosen to maintain services as demand grows.

The council took no formal vote on the presentation itself. The levy will appear to county voters as Issue 1 on Nov. 4; presenters encouraged residents to review the annual report for more details.

The presentation and discussion ran during the city manager reports portion of the Oct. 21 meeting.