PHOTO BY BRENNA WHITE / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
AWARENESS MONTH … The Williams County Commissioners and Job and Family Services joined together on April 2, 2026, to pass a Proclamation declaring April as National Child Abuse Prevention Month.
By: Brenna White
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
The Williams County Commissioners met Thursday, April 2, 2026, to hear a Department of Aging update, hold a data center discussion, and pass a proclamation with Job and Family Services.
A proclamation was passed declaring April as National Child Abuse Prevention Month in Williams County. Held in partnership with JFS, the proclamation promotes the need for effective child abuse prevention.
On Wednesday, April 8, 2026, Williams County and JFS employees will be participating in “Wear Blue to Work Day” to help raise further awareness.
An informational discussion was held with Williams County Township Trustees later in the afternoon. Matt Davis, a representative from the Regional Growth Partnership (RGP), joined the meeting to provide facts about data centers in the Northwest Ohio region.
“We are not here to promote data centers, or dispel data centers. We are here to provide information for a local community, a local county can use, to determine if this is a fit for you all,” explained Davis.
“If it’s a fit for Williams County – we’ll help you prepare yourselves so it can be done the right way. If it’s not a fit for Williams County – decide now and we can make sure one doesn’t come in and force its way into your community,” he said.
Township trustees were invited to learn more about the prospect of data centers coming to the area. The meeting was largely for the trustees to understand the steps they need to either invite or restrict the implementation of the centers.
No formal decisions were made during the meeting. Similar discussions can be expected in the future as the county gathers more information.
Sarah Stubblefield from the Department of Aging presented her monthly update to the commissioners.
Stubblefield reported that the Area Office on Aging’s funding for nutrition was already depleted by March. Now, the department will be reliant on levy funding it receives to provide food services.
The Department of Aging currently has four levies to source its funding. Its largest was originally passed in 2005, and the total amount collected has not been increased. The levy averages around $700,000 annually.
The projected loss for 2026 is currently $143,000. In 2025, the Department of Aging lost $360,000 and was reliant on its carryover cash balance.
To combat the funding shortfall, the department has raised its suggested donation for meals to $4. No senior is required to pay for lunch, but donations are accepted.
Stubblefield noted that her cost estimate for each meal is closer to $14.95, which includes the labor and utilities needed to serve the food. A more concrete price breakdown is expected in the future.
A potential updated levy for November 2026 was recommended by Stubblefield to address the financial struggles. No formal proposal has been made and the levy is still in its preliminary stages.