Voters to decide on senior services millage question

GROSSE POINTES/HARPER WOODS — Officials for The Helm at the Boll Life Center hope voters in the five Grosse Pointes and Harper Woods will say yes to a millage on the November ballot that would provide funding for what they say are vital senior programs and services.

As of a July 8 vote by the Harper Woods City Council, all six cities had approved a proposal to put a 0.35 mill levy on the Nov. 5 ballot. For someone who owns a home with a market value of $200,000 and a taxable value of $100,000, the millage would amount to $35 annually; for someone whose home is worth $500,000 and has a taxable value of $250,000, it would be $87.50. If approved, the millage would be levied for six years.

Helm officials said they had originally planned on asking for 0.5 mills but were able to reduce their request after further study of their needs with officials from the six cities. State law allows up to 1 mill to be levied for senior programs through a ballot initiative.

“The Helm is spearheading this because we are really the only comprehensive and primary provider of senior services” for the six cities, Dr. Cheryl Wesen, of Grosse Pointe Farms, board president for The Helm, told the Farms City Council at a meeting June 10.

Farms City Manager Shane Reeside said that if the millage is approved, it would be operated under the terms of an interlocal agreement among the cities that pass the millage. He said a senior citizen board would be created with one representative from each community, along with one at-large member.

“The interlocal agreement is the mechanism for how (tax) funds would be received … and how those funds could then be transferred over to The Helm,” Reeside said. “Really, The Helm would be reporting to this (senior citizen) commission.”

At a June 17 Grosse Pointe City Council meeting, The Helm Executive Director Krista Siddall said at least four of the six cities would need to pass the millage for it to take effect. Any cities that didn’t approve the millage would likely face higher charges for their residents to access Helm programs and services, such as a higher annual membership fee. Siddall said the members of the interlocal government board that would oversee the tax money would determine what was appropriate as far as fees in cities where the millage isn’t approved.

As Grosse Pointe City Mayor Sheila Tomkowiak noted, in any cities where the millage didn’t pass, it would be individual residents of those cities who use The Helm who would end up paying more; the city itself wouldn’t be on the hook financially.

“With the agreement now … I feel comfortable that if it does pass, it will be administered responsibly,” Tomkowiak said.

Wesen said The Helm has an operating budget of approximately $1.3 million. If the millage is approved by all six cities, it would generate another $1.1 million.

“So, you’re going to be doubling your operating budget?” Farms City Councilman Lev Wood asked.

Wesen said adult day care — for seniors who can’t be left alone and are cared for by loved ones who need to go to their jobs — is one of the services they’d like to offer, and that alone is expected to cost about $500,000 to get started.

“Nothing like that is available in the Pointes right now,” Wesen said.

Farms resident Dr. Donna Hoban, whose private practice is primarily geriatrics, said dementia is on the rise and people can’t find safe care for their loved ones that’s affordable, which she said this millage would provide.

“I have been shocked by … how many of our elderly are marginalized,” Hoban said. “They really, truly need more services.”

In addition, Wesen said they’d like to expand evening and weekend programs for seniors who are still working and can’t attend the normal schedule of Helm activities, which are primarily offered during weekday business hours. Home visits for seniors who can’t get to The Helm are another service they’d like to offer.

Former Helm Board President Prudence Cole, a Grosse Pointe Shores resident, said they also hope to shore up Pointe Area Assisted Transportation, or PAATS, with millage funds. The popular, low-cost door-to-door transportation service is struggling to stay afloat as demand for rides rises but revenues remain stagnant.

Helm officials expect their needs to grow as the population ages, and they’re worried they won’t be able to meet those needs without additional funding. Currently, about 18% of residents in the Pointes and Harper Woods are age 65 or older. By 2035, that number is expected to reach nearly 26%. Wesen said by 2030, the number of people ages 60 and older in the Pointes and Harper Woods will exceed the number of people ages 17 and younger. The Southeast Michigan Council of Governments predicts that the senior population in the Pointes and Harper Woods will double from present numbers over the next 20 years.

Of Michigan’s 83 counties, Helm officials say 72 have countywide senior millages or individual municipality senior millages. Wayne County doesn’t have a senior millage.

Helm officials are concerned for the future because 62% of their revenue comes from donations and fundraising, including their annual gala auction and golf outing. Another 26% comes from local, state and federal programs, such as Community Development Block Grants and the Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation, or SMART, bus system, which provides the buses used by PAATS. Helm officials said these government funds can be cut or eliminated at any time. While the cities funnel CDBG grants from Wayne County to The Helm, the Grosse Pointes and Harper Woods typically haven’t provided other tax dollars.

Only about 12% of The Helm’s revenue comes from program fees.

Even if the millage passes in all six cities, Helm officials say their fundraising efforts are still needed and will continue.

“Our plan is absolutely to continue the fundraising that we’ve done,” Wesen said.

Cole said communities that lack funding for senior services pay in other ways, such as increased ambulance runs. She said The Helm gives people a place to exercise, socialize, learn and remain vibrant, which contributes to overall health.

Farms resident Dr. David Balle expressed his support for the millage, calling senior services “a growing need.”

“The Helm is always a great resource,” Balle said. “I think allowing voters to decide is the best solution.”

Shores resident Fred Minturn, a former council member, said The Helm provides important services and is responsible with the funds it has now. He serves on The Helm Board.

“It’s a very well-run organization,” Minturn said.

Wesen said The Helm has an audit each year, and multiple signatures are required for large expenditures.

“We try to be good stewards (of our funds),” Wesen said.

“I think The Helm does an excellent job on really a shoestring,” Farms City Councilman Joe Ricci said.

Shores resident, John DeWald — a former Shores city clerk — said the Shores is seeing its senior population grow.

“We need to offer this for our seniors,” DeWald said.

But not all residents or officials are in favor of the proposal.

Although the millage request was approved for the ballot by the Grosse Pointe Shores City Council during a meeting June 18, Shores City Councilwoman Danielle Gehlert voted against it. For a Shores resident who owns a home with a taxable value of roughly $350,000, she said this would equate to another $120 per year in taxes, or double the cost of an annual Helm membership of $60.

“I just don’t think it was fair to residents to be taxed for something they’re not using,” Gehlert said.

Helm officials said that communities with senior millages are generally looked upon more favorably by potential homeowners, which improves property values, and residents already pay for services they might not use. For example, seniors with adult children who have no need for their local school system might still support school millages because of the positive impact good schools have on property values and perception of the community in general.

Shores Mayor Ted Kedzierski also voted against putting the millage in front of voters.

“This was a very tough one,” Kedzierski said of his vote. “We’re fiduciaries. It’s easy to spend someone else’s money.”

With the highest average home values among the six cities, “We’re the most greatly affected per capita” if the millage passes, Kedzierski said.

Farms resident Catherine Saurbier said that, like the Grosse Pointe Public Library Board — whose municipal representatives are appointed by their respective city councils — the senior board would consist of members who weren’t voted in by the general electorate.

“This is taxation without representation,” Saurbier said.

She said she also “objected to” what she said would be “a guaranteed revenue stream” for The Helm.

Helm officials said a professional poll they commissioned showed strong voter support for a senior millage, but much will depend on factors such as voter turnout and potential millage fatigue this fall. The Grosse Pointe Public School System is seeking voter approval in November to triple its sinking fund request, while some cities — including Grosse Pointe City and Grosse Pointe Farms — will have new millage requests or millage renewals on the ballot. Ultimately, the choice will be in the hands of the electorate. Given that 2024 is a presidential election year, turnout is expected to be high.

“I’m definitely in favor of letting the voters decide,” Farms City Councilman John Gillooly said.