Senior citizens services levy on ballot
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LAKE COUNTY — The Lake County Commissioners have passed a resolution putting a senior citizens services mill levy increase on the June primary ballot. The resolution follows a successful petition drive by senior citizen groups and agencies in the county.
The increase in the levy from less than one mill to two mills would increase the tax bill of a $100,000 home by $2.62 per year. Income from the levy would help fund services provided by senior citizens centers in Polson, Ronan, St. Ignatius, Arlee, Charlo and Woods Bay, as well as the Lake County Council on Aging and the Area VI Agency on Aging. Services provided by those entities include congregate and delivered meals, transportation for medical appointments, ombudsmen for nursing home residents, in-home assistance and a variety of informational and social programs.
The demand for those programs is on the rise and is expected to increase dramatically with the aging of the “baby boomer” generation. Presently, between 20 and 25 percent of the population of Lake County is over 60 years of age. Over the next ten years, that number is expected to reach 40 percent. While the demand for the services has been rising, government funding for them has generally stayed the same or decreased.
For more information, interested citizens may call the Lake County Council on Aging in Ronan at (406) 676-2367.
