When Riley County commissioners approved the budget in August, they knew it would leave plenty of people frustrated.
One of the more frustrated voices came from the Riley County Council on Aging.
Mary Jo Harbour, chairwoman for the council, told commissioners the Council’s funding is $5,000 less than what it was in 2011 and that it’s been a struggle this year.
“Please, give serious consideration to restoring funds that you took from us,” she pleaded Monday morning in the Commission Chambers.
This summer, the county reduced its appropriation to the council to its lowest amount since 2011 and other programs suffered the same.
County commissioners contended then — as they do now — that the funding cuts at the state level have had adverse effects on the local level and that funding that normally would go to services such as the Riley County Council on Aging have went to prop up basic county operations.
Commission Chairman Ron Wells was sympathetic to the council’s plight, but cautioned that things could get worse before they get better, especially with the property tax lid initiative from Topeka that was slipped into the state budget bill that regulates what local governments can spend by requiring special elections on property tax increases if they exceed rates of inflation.
Of course, the language on the property tax lid sets up an impossible time-frame to even hold those elections, considering property valuations aren’t known till later in the summer, anyway, and because of that, likely won’t be known in time to get a property tax question ready for a November ballot.
So who knows how that will work out.
“We’re very aware of what’s coming down the pike on this lid, which is going to hurt you… it’s going to hurt all of us,” Wells said. “We encourage the senior citizens who vote to be sure to be aware of that. Talk to the legislators. Keep the pressure on.”
RILEY COUNTY COUNCIL ON AGING APPROPRIATIONS SINCE 2011:
2011: $234,387
2012: $242,880
2013: $242,880
2014: $252,382
2015: $252,437
2016: $255,287 (asked for), $229,758 (received)
Wells told Harbour that he and fellow commissioner Robert Boyd have discussed restoring the council’s full funding and will if the budget allows, but again cautioned much of that is dependent on what happens at the state level.
Harbour said a solution that Commissioner Ben Wilson — who was absent Monday — brought up over the summer hasn’t been working.
“I would also point out that despite one of the commissioner’s — and unfortunately he’s not here today – effort to convince everybody that the churches can do all of this… they can not,” she said.
While Wells said he believes churches and other organizations picking up the slack would be ideal, he conceded that it’s not the solution.
Harbour said it’s a tough time for organizations trying to help senior citizens. The Riley County Council on Aging helps provide meals for them and Harbour added that these services help those who have little assistance from others — even their families.
“It’s very hard when your family doesn’t live here,” she said. “And a lot of the people I see at the senior center, they have no one that is the area that can help.
“Some of us try to help, but we’re all getting older, too. So, it’s getting hard.”
In other items, commissioners appointed Linda Morse to the North Central-Flint Hills Area Agency on Aging Advisory Board and signed a thank you letter to Michael Cates for serving on the Riley County Public Health Council.
Also, outgoing Riley County Health Department Director Brenda Nickel announced that Lisa Ross, the department’s WIC (Women, Infants and Children) coordinator, will serve as interim director till a replacement is found.
Nickel’s last day will be on Dec. 11.
Finally, Riley County Treasurer Shilo Heger told commissioners that 2015 tax statements were mailed out Nov. 10.
Heger said that if a tax statement is not received by Nov. 20, her office should be called and another statement will be mailed.
First half taxes are due Dec. 21 and second half taxes are due on May 10, 2016.
