Petition to raise mill levy gains traction

LAKE COUNTY — Signatures are being collected in hope of increasing the mill levy for senior services in Lake County. Advocacy groups hope to get the ballot initiative in the primary election in June by obtaining 500 signatures by March 10.

If the measure passes, it would raise the mill levy for senior services in Lake County from less than 1 mill to 2 mills, which equals a $2.62 tax increase for homeowners whose home has an assessed value of $100,000.

Mack McConnell, a board member on the Lake County Council on Aging, said the money would be split among the six senior centers in the county and several agencies.

“Right now there is no one need that is larger than the others,” he said.

While the need has increased and will continue to grow, the subsidies have declined or stayed the same, McConnell stated. The new mill levy would help deal with escalating costs of providing services to area seniors and would rise with inflation rates. McConnell said the Lake County commissioners are understanding of the need for the money, but they also have priorities like county roads that are crying for mill increases as well.

“The increase for the need is rising rapidly but real quick it’s going to jump,”

McConnell said, explaining that baby boomers are beginning to take advantage of aging services. “Of course nobody wants to see the taxes go up, but the need is there.”

Currently, nearly 25 percent of the population in Lake County is older than 60. Over the next 10 years that number is expected to hit 40 percent.

By Tuesday the groups had already gathered between 45 and 50 signatures from just one senior center, Joanne Shaw said.

Shaw, who works for the Council on Aging, said an attempt was made several years ago to get a mill levy increase. Groups collected more than 1,000 signatures, but the correct paperwork wasn’t filed to get the proposed tax increase on the ballot.

Well on their way to the 500 required signatures, Shaw said she is not worried they will reach their goal. Whether or not the measure will pass in June is another matter.

She is being optimistic and hoping Lake County constituents will support the increase.

“[Voters] are going to be needing the services or their parents will be needing the services,” Shaw said. “They’ve got to think about that.”

Signatures are being collected at the six senior centers around the county as well as the Lake County Council on Aging office in Ronan.