315 West Green St. Marshall, MI 49068

269-781-

http://www.calhouncountymi.gov

Calhoun County Senior Millage

Funding^ Services For Seniors

All services are funded by the citizens of Calhoun County through support of the

Senior Millage. Services are available to any County resident, age 60 and over.

Some programs may have additional eligibility requirements.

Meal Delivered / Meal Sites

(866) 200-

Benefits Counseling

(517) 629-3842 - Albion

(800) 803-7174 - Battle Creek

(269) 781-0846 - Marshall Minor Home Repair

(877) 422-

Community Care Options

(269) 441-0948 Money Management

(866) 963-

Dental Services

(269) 781-

Personal Emergency

Response

Handy Helper Services & (269) 441-

Bed Bug Remediation

(866) 200-

Prescription Assistance

(269) 781-

Hearing & Vision Services

(269) 441-

Ramps for Accessibility

(866) 200-

Home Heating Assistance

(269) 965-

Legal Assistance

(800) 688-

Senior Fitness & Fun

(269) 441-

Senior Transportation

(800) 994-

In a unanimous

vote, the Senior Millage

Allocation Committee

approved a one-year

increase of program

income limits for income-

tested Senior Millage-

funded programs to

250% of the Federal

Poverty Level for 2022.

The Senior Millage

Allocation Committee is

a 13-member volunteer

board, which oversees

the administration of the

Calhoun County Senior

Millage.

Senior Millage has

income limits on some

of its programs to target

the limited funds to those

most in need of assistance

who otherwise would not

be able to afford to solve

problems to continue to

live independently with

health, safety, and dignity.

Due to the COVID-

pandemic, Senior Millage

has seen a continued

decrease in the number

Calhoun County Senior

Millage expands income

eligibility to serve more

of seniors served in 2020

and 2021. In an effort to

rebuild programs and serve

additional older adults, the

Senior Millage Allocation

Committee approved

raising income limits to

250% of the Federal Poverty

Level for the 2022 calendar

year. For one person, this

would be an income of

$2,831 a month or $33,

a year. For two people,

their monthly income limit

would be $3,815 or $45,

annually.

Calhoun County

Senior Millage Manager

Helen Guzzo says, “This

is a positive change for our

community. The numbers

of Calhoun County older

adults served by Senior

Millage-funded programs

are down because of

COVID restrictions and

precautions. This expansion

of services will help

more people benefit from

assistance available through

these important programs

administered through

nine trusted nonprofit

organizations operating in

the County.”

To see if they qualify,

interested individuals

should call Calhoun

County Senior Services

at 269-781-0846, or

contact a specific program

directly. Countable

income includes Social

Security benefits (after the

Medicare Part B premium

is deducted), pensions,

annuities, and 401K

payments. Senior Millage

programs are not asset-

tested.

First approved by

voters in 1996, Senior

Millage funds 22 programs

to serve older adults, age

60 and over, and was

renewed for another ten

years in 2020. The Millage

raises about $3 million

in tax dollars each year

to provide services that

promote health, safety,

dignity, and independence

for older adults.

BY SETH BERRY
Staff Writer
Residents were given
the opportunity to meet
Derek Perry, a candidate
for the open city manager
position during a “meet and
greet” in the training room
at Marshall City Hall on
Jan. 18.
Perry, a Burr Oak, Mich.
native, attended Michigan

Tech after graduating from
high school and got his start
in local government while
working a part time summer

Candidate for Marshall

city manager gets chance

to meet public

job for the city of Sturgis

while finishing his degree at

Michigan Tech.

When he graduated, he

was hired full time by the

city of Sturgis and worked

there for about nine years.

After his time in Sturgis,

Perry said he was looking to

advance his career and was

hired by the city of Marshall

and worked under Tom

Tarkiewicz,

the current

city manager

who is retiring

in February,

from 2003

to 2006 as a

deputy director

of utilities and

infrastructure.

Perry then

said he left to

advance his

career to work

for the city of

St. Joseph as

a public works

director and

worked in that

position for seven years

before becoming a deputy

manager for Meridian

Township and has held that

position ever since.

“I have over two

decades of local government

experience, pretty much in

all facets of government,”

Perry said. “This is just an

awesome opportunity, I saw

that the city of Marshall was

looking for a city manager,

and I knew Tom has been

here a long time and I

thought ‘here’s a fantastic

opportunity to get back to

a community that I love.’

There’s just so many aspects

of the community that are

great, the kids have lots

of great memories of the

community. Even though

we were only here for

three years, it really left an

indelible mark on us.”

Perry was the only

candidate in attendance at

the two-hour event on the

18th. On Jan. 19, a special

City Council meeting was

scheduled for the purpose

of conducting an interview

Derek Perry with Perry.

0#6**

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