WARREN — Voters will have a chance to decide whether owners of properties that are valued at $100,000 will pay an extra $10.50 a year to support an increase to the Trumbull County Senior Levy.

Commissioners Denny Malloy and Mauro Cantalamessa voted to approve the placement of the five-year, 0.75-mill levy on November’s general election ballot. Commissioner Niki Frenchko, a former member of the senior levy services committee, did not attend the meeting.

Prior to Wednesday’s meeting — and even moments before the actual vote — Malloy gave every indication he leaned toward not supporting a levy replacement, but could support a levy renewal.

Malloy said three other Trumbull programs — Childrens’ Services, Mental Health and Recovery Board and the Board of Developmental Disabilities — all are asking for voters to support their levy renewals.

Auditor Martha Yoder said the renewal would allow collection of funds at the same millage, based on the property values established in 2005 when the senior levy was passed. A replacement levy will be at the same millage, but based on current property valuation, she said. A voter-approved replacement levy will increase the annual amount the senior level brings in from approximately $2.5 million to approximately $3.5 million.

“A replacement does increase taxes,” Yoder said. “A renewal does not.”

Prior to the vote, Malloy said he did not like the idea of a replacement based on the county’s experience when it increased sewer rates by $10 a month, and the county received a deluge of complaints from residents on fixed incomes who stated they could not afford the increase.

“For people who get the same paycheck now that they received when they retired, their pensions were not going up,” he said. “Everytime we raise taxes, it is more out of what they used to spend.”

Malloy said he does not like the idea that seniors — especially the 90% of seniors who do not use the programs supported by the senior levy — also will have to pay on the increased taxes.

“Everyone will pay more,” he said.

Malloy said he would rather come up with a solution where seniors that do not use the senior levy program would not have to pay for the services or the establishment of one or more programs that will allow those that can afford it to donate to the senior levy without imposing new taxes on others.

He gave the example of people providing more than $100,000 for the care of dogs at the Trumbull County Dog Pound. “Although it is only a slight increase, it is the principal,” he said.

Malloy is against placing the issue on the ballot multiple times.

The commissioner described meeting with the senior levy service committee and asked them if they could come up with alternative savings and ways to earn the extra $1 million a year.

“They came up with nothing,” he said.

ADMINISTRATOR’S VIEW

Senior Services Levy Administrator Diane Siskowic-Jurkovic described the Youngstown region as having the highest senior population in the state. Ohio has the sixth-highest senior population in the country.

“If we have to live on 2005 dollars, we’re going to have to reduce services,” she said. “We will go back to a basic needs levy. I say let the people vote.”

Siskowic-Jurkovic said the extra million dollars being requested will allow the levy to eliminate the active waiting lists for programs.

Cantalamessa suggested that residents do understand the needs of seniors.

“We have a waiting list that we can cover with $1 million,” he said. “I know it is not politically smart, but if you’re going to die on a hill and you have to go down swinging, then I’m willing to do this for seniors.”

“I support this,” he said.

Siskowic-Jurkovic said without a senior levy, the cost of hiring someone to go into the homes of senior citizens is at least $30 per hour.

“It would deplete their assets,” she said.

Malloy questioned if some of the new money collected would go to pay administrative costs.

“No,” she responded. “There are no services grants that are available. This is a service levy. We provide services.”

Malloy admitted the amount being asked for from taxpayers — $10.50 per year on homes valued at $100,000 by the county auditor’s office — is not much.

“Pension systems don’t increase the amount they pay people on fixed incomes,” he said. “I would urge, with my vote, that we will look for more creative ways to take care of the system. We need to market it.”

“There’s gotta be people in the community to help us take care of seniors, without taxing other seniors to do it,” he said. “I ask the people who can afford it to step up and help a little more.”

Malloy said he does not want to do this again five years from now.

“We have to help the less fortunate,” he said.

The commissioners also voted to place three other levy proposals on November’s ballot. Children Services is seeking a 10-year, 0.8-mill levy renewal, which, if passed, would raise nearly $2.8 million per year.

Trumbull County Mental Health and Recovery Board is seeking a 10-year, 1-mill levy renewal to raise approximately $3.5 million a year.

The Board of Developmental Disabilities of Trumbull County is seeking a 10-year, 2.25-mill levy renewal to raise approximately $7.8 million.

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