Montcalm County board rejects 1.0‑mill increase for Commission on Aging

Montcalm County commissioners voted down a proposal Feb. 9 to raise the Commission on Aging millage from 0.45 to 1.0 mil.

Pamela (Pam) Schott, director of the Montcalm County Commission on Aging, presented the proposal and asked the board to approve ballot language so voters could decide. Schott said the increase was necessary to meet rising demand and to avoid capping services or building a large wait list; she said current funding from state and federal sources was expected to be flat. Schott told the board the commission’s fund balance was approximately $625,000 and that its current annual budget was about $1.8 million. She said the agency currently has roughly 20 people on a wait list for services and could hire two to three more home health aides immediately if additional funding were approved.

Commissioners probed the need for the increase and whether the fund balance could be used. Several raised concern about asking taxpayers for an additional levy amid broader efforts to keep county taxes low and said it is the board’s role to vet items before they go to voters.

Commissioner Mohr moved to adopt resolution 2026‑02 to place the 1.0‑mill increase on the August ballot. The board conducted a roll‑call vote: Alexander — Yes; Johnston — Yes; Maher — Yes; Murray — No; Johnson — No; Peterson — No; Carr — No. The motion failed (3 Yes, 4 No). Schott said that if voters reject the August request the commission would seek renewal at 0.45 in later elections.