The meeting was held to help rally support for a yes vote on the proposed Senior Citizens Service Fund issue upcoming on the Aug. 5 election ballot. Warren County voters will be asked to approve the establishment of a new tax, based on the assessed value of their property, to create a fund to provide more services for seniors age 60 and older. "Many other counties have determined there is a need for an additional pool of money to support activities for senior citizens," said Brian Gleize, one of the organizers of the meeting. "We feel Warren County can benefit from this as well." The ballot issue asks for a property tax rate of 5 cents for every $100 of assessed value. Real estate and personal property would be subject to the tax. If a person had a home with an appraised value of $100,000, for instance, their tax rate would be figured by taking 19 percent of that market value ($19,000) and multiplying that figure by 0.0005. That would result in a $9.50 tax levy per year. Based on 2007 assessment figures, in which the appraised value of all property in Warren County was nearly $500 million, proponents of the bond issue estimate the new tax would generate around $250,000 annually. "We can do a lot of good things with that money," said Gleize. "We can really improve the level of services we provide to our senior citizens." Gleize told the small audience there are 41 other counties throughout Missouri who have already adopted the Senior Fund. He said those counties would serve as a model for the Warren County plan. "A large number of the counties already employing this tax are rural," said Gleize. "We don't have to reinvent the wheel here. We can benefit from what they've learned and apply it here to have the greatest impact." A few people in the audience, however, said they were skeptical of voting in favor of any additional real estate taxes. "My taxes have gone up 67 percent since I moved to Warren County," observed one man. "I moved here several years ago because the tax rates were reasonable but now they just keep going up and up. "I can't afford any new taxes," he added. "I want to know how this fund is going to benefit me." Gleize and other members of the discussion panel said the fund could broaden the programs of services provided by organizations such as OATS, the senior center and Meals on Wheels, among others. Supporters of the tax also say it would provide money for repair projects on seniors' homes, provide respite care and assist with the purchase of wheelchairs. "That's the beauty of this program," said Gleize. "How it impacts Warren County will be decided by the seven members of the board of directors, who are all local people. "Businesses will apply for grants," Gleize added, "and the money will be disbursed depending on the need of each project, based on the percentage of each company's business devoted to seniors." Wanda Thomas, another member of the discussion panel, said the money raised by the tax would remain in Warren County, and not be disbursed to any other municipality. "In order to qualify for funding, a business will have to be based in Warren County," Thomas explained. "The business will submit a request for proposal (RFP) application and the directors would then decide whether or not to approve the request." Seniors, explained Gleize, sometimes provide an "inviting target" for fraudulent schemes designed to bilk them out of money in cases of home improvement, travel or through the Internet. But the Senior Citizens Service Fund will have built-in safeguards to prevent abuse and waste, he added. "The RFPs is a system of checks and balances," Gleize explained. "And the board of directors will be appointed by the (Warren County) commissioners, who will have the authority to review what they do. "Plus," Gleize added, "there are laws and statutes in place which will also help prevent fraud."