Earlier this year, I wrote an Issue Brief about senior levies in the state of Ohio that examined the available funding in the state for older adult programming and services. As I have met with various groups and individuals to discuss the findings of the paper, I am often asked how the federal and state funds are baked into the pie chart below.
We know the recipe for 30 percent of the pie, but do not have the exact ingredients or measurements of the majority of it.
As you can see, the largest slice of the pie belongs to levy funds. As described in the original paper, 74 counties in the state have passed levies to specifically fund programs and services that benefit older adults in their communities. The funds raised through levies are generally less restricted than state and federal funding, and each county determines how and by whom the funding is distributed. Although many counties use their levy funds to supplement state and federal sources to provide basic needs services, it was beyond the scope of this paper to fully examine how each county distributed dollars.
We know the recipe for 30 percent of the pie, but do not have the exact ingredients or measurements of the majority of it. Programs and services distributed through the Ohio Department of Aging make up the state and federal funds spent on older adults in Ohio. Line items for state and federal funding are detailed in the Legislative Service Commission’s Greenbook for the Department of Aging Budget. The table below lists these ingredients and, where possible, a link to a website to learn more about the specifics of the program.
What are the ingredients in older adult services funding pie? We know that answer for 30% of the funds but not the rest. Click To Tweet