Jefferson County commissioners ask Prime Time questions
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STEUBENVILLE -- The Jefferson County commissioners made it clear Thursday that while they support what the Prime Time Office on Aging is trying to do for the county's senior population, they're not prepared to move forward with a proposed replacement levy referendum until they get answers to their questions.
Instead, commissioners decided to invite Tri-State Health Services to an upcoming meeting so they can hear firsthand -- beyond the twice-yearly reports Prime Time Director Trudy Wilson must submit -- how the agency is using taxpayer money and what lies ahead for the services it provides.
The 1.2-mill levy currently in place generates $1.9 million a year to pay for senior services, but Wilson told commissioners they'd like to expand the program and that will require more money.
Rather than do a levy renewal, she said they're hoping to do a replacement levy: A renewal would be based on the valuations at the time the levy took effect, whereas a replacement levy is based on current property valuations and would generate more revenue.
"We're asking for that levy because without it we would have to cut down three-quarters of what we do in the community," Wilson said. "Basically, we'd have to cut out deliveries, they'd basically have to come to the site."
She said in the 2023 fiscal year Prime Time exceeded its goals in terms of site usage, home delivery of meals and transportation, pointing out they'd provided 240,881 meals, up 11 percent -- or 26,726 meals -- from the previous year; recorded 14,039 units of transportation (rides) -- up from 12,601 in 2022, and set a goal for transports of 14,950.
"Prime Time has had significant increases in requests for services," Wilson wrote. "Consequently, you also will notice an increase in both costs of food and costs related to transportation. With this increasing need for meals and transportation for the elderly population in Jefferson County, Prime Time is strategically forecasting our needs for the next five years, which include the need for ongoing levy funding.
"As part of our growth strategy, Prime Time is working to enlarge our actual kitchen space where we currently produce (about) 1,000 meals daily, enabling us to continue to grow to prepare (about) 2,000 daily meals during the course of this new levy period," Wilson wrote. "This continued growth in meals provided as well as units of transportation provided to Jefferson County Senior Citizens would not be possible without the generous contribution of levy funding."
Commissioners pointed out that changes in the hierarchy--Trinity Health System, which operates Prime Time, is now part of CommonSpirit Health -- means fewer decisions are made locally.
"It wouldn't have gotten to the point it's at without support from Trinity," Commissioner Dave Maple pointed out. "But organizations change over time. You don't have as much local (decision making) as you once did. Maybe we need to address that.
"If Trinity wants this, I'd like to hear from them that they want it," he added. "I would like to hear from the hospital that they're sincerely interested in (this). If they want it, they'll show up for a meeting. "
Commissioner Eric Timmons pointed out that in past dealings, "I know Trinity to be very fair and willing to meet with us. That's all we want, just to clarify some things. I think the end result is that everyone wants to get it done."
Commissioner Tony Morelli said Trinity "is run by some very caring and professional and smart people. They want the same thing we do, we just need to find a way to take care of our seniors."
"I think you said it right," he told Maple. "Trinity needs to be at the table,"
Maple pointed out Prime Time has experienced a 10 percent increase in meals served and about the same in travel costs, along with a 24 percent increase in payroll.
"We're here to get services to seniors," he said. "We're not here to hire and hire and hire. It's not like it was a 10 percent increase in services and a 10 percent increase in payroll -- that would make sense. But those are just questions that need to be asked more routinely and have good answers to routinely."
He said they'd like Trinity to "commit to more routine discussions about what's going on with taxpayer dollars."
They pointed out there's plenty of time to arrange a meeting, since the resolution of necessity for the levy doesn't have to be filed until 90 days before the election, "so sometime in December."
Commissioners also:
• Will move forward with the purchase of a lot held by the land bank so the county engineer "can continue to maintain drainage in the area, which lies partially outside of the right-of-way of county Road 30, Wilson Avenue," Chief Deputy Engineer Clay Merrin said. The land bank has already removed the structures and is prepared to sell the lot to the county for $334.50, he said.
• Received Prosecutor Jane Hanlin's annual report, which identified 215 total prosecutions between Sept. 1, 2022, and Sept 1 of this year. Of those, she said about three quarters of those defendants had been successfully prosecuted and sentenced.
• Will schedule a viewing for a petition to vacate Ross Township Road 67 beginning at Jefferson County Road 53 and ending at Ross Township Road 58, due to hazardous conditions.
• Scheduled CORSA training for Dec. 12. The training is free, and based on the level of participation the county is awarded points that are applied to premiums.