My least favorite duty as executive director of SourcePoint, Delaware County’s senior services agency, has been asking residents to vote to raise their taxes — even just a little. Thanks to my retirement lurking around the corner, this will be my last senior services levy campaign.

Back in the early 1990s, we set out to solve the problem of too many people unnecessarily going into nursing homes in our county. There were very few reliable community services back then, and the lack of a coordinated system of care made it confusing and difficult for families to access what was available.

Much of this was due to too few resources to meet the needs of a rapidly growing older population. Back then, we developed a plan and made a promise to the community that if a modest senior levy was approved, we would create a system that works for families and would provide the services needed to give seniors the option to remain living safely at home. We also promised there would be no waiting lists for home care services.

Today, 24 years later, with the continuous approval of voters, we have kept this promise. I have learned that when you deliver on your promises and provide good value for the money, it makes passing a levy more doable.

SourcePoint has been fortunate over the years. The community has supported our senior levy, people volunteer their time and talent at amazing rates, and others donate money to help enhance what we do. This would not happen if we were not being effective, managing our resources well, and, especially, making a real difference in the lives of older adults every day.

As Delaware County grows and ages, the challenge will be to continue to make good on our promise of no waiting lists for services. The good news is we already have created a coordinated system of care and quality services for those who need them. Now, we just need to keep pace with our population growth.

With support from our community to approve the senior services levy on the May ballot, we will be able to continue the care.

Robert U. Horrocks

Executive Director

SourcePoint