Earlier this year, I wrote an analysis of senior tax levies in Ohio. Seventy-four of Ohio’s 88 counties have tax levies that provide various services to support older adults. These communities rely on levy funding to provide both basic need services, such as congregate meals, and more robust health and wellness programming including well-appointed senior centers. The amount of funding available per older adult depends on the value of taxable properties, the tax rate and the population of older adults. This results in wide variations between the amounts per county.

This most recent election saw senior levies in 13 counties and all were overwhelming approved by voters.

Levies that fund senior services typically last five years with a few lasting as long as 10 or 20 years. When levies are set to expire, counties in Ohio traditionally add them to the ballot for either a renewal or a replacement, and may take that opportunity to add an additional levy as well. This most recent election saw senior levies in 13 counties and all were overwhelming approved by voters. The closest margin of 20 points was in Hocking County. Clark County was the only county to have an additional levy on the ballot. Its 1.4 millage levy will supplement the county’s existing 1 millage levy.

Demonstrated in this and previous elections, Ohioans continue to be very supportive of funding older adult services through property tax levies. Once a senior levy has passed in a community it continues to have wide support of the general public. No new senior levies were on the ballot this election and so the map we prepared earlier this year remains accurate.