Senior programs could face more budget cuts

By DON SIMMONS JR./Correspondent

So far, state budget cuts to area senior programs have caused only minor ripple effects. But the District III Governmental Cooperative is not out of the line of fire just yet.
A cut of around $30,000 this year probably means longer delays on waiting lists for services, said the agency’s executive director Mike Guy. But he cautioned that more cuts could follow when the General Assembly meets in early 2008.
“The governor wants to use the state’s Rainy Day Fund to cover the remainder of budget shortfalls, but the General Assembly could make us have to look at potential cuts in services if it doesn’t go with the governor’s plan,” said Guy. “We usually try to deal with cuts through attrition either through staff retirements or people dropping off our service lists. That way we don’t have to discontinue any programs.”
The cooperative operates 20 programs through a combination of state and federal funds and private contributions. Last year it spent $4.7 million to provide services such as Meals on Wheels, heating assistance and bus service to a six-county, two-city area from Bristol to Carroll County. Around 5,800 of the region’s estimated 41,000 seniors signed up for services last year.
Meals on Wheels alone serves an average of 1,000 seniors a year, delivering a two-week supply of frozen meals to just about every hollow in the coop’s service area.
“Seniors are generally more active and better off today, but there are still many who need help,” said Guy, who has served as director for 27 years. “Our services have grown a lot over the years.”
It takes a paid staff of 155 (mostly part-timers) and 900 volunteers to maintain all the programs, he said. For instance, it takes fleet of 50 public transit buses to provide seniors with no transportation with low-cost trips to area hospitals, shopping centers and community colleges. The coop also helps maintain senior centers in each of the counties and cities it serves.
The budget cuts so far amount to around 1-1/2 percent or so,” said Guy, who has served as the coop’s director for 27 years. “We have a lot of ups and downs in funding. This one isn’t a knock-out punch, but it does hurt at a time when the senior population is growing every year.
He encouraged area seniors to urge their state and federal representatives to minimize any further cuts to the agency.