Deborah Modrill, director of the Callahan County Nutrition Project, asked the commissioners court on July 14 for a $200 per‑month increase in county funding for the county’s senior meal program. Modrill said food costs for the program rose about 5 percent this year — “which is basically nearly $6,000 more than what we were budgeted for” — and that the program was “in the black, barely.”

Modrill said the county currently contributes $1,000 a month and she asked the court to consider raising that to $1,200. “I would like to continue to operate in the black,” she said. “Some months are red and some are black, but they’ve evened out.”

Why it matters: The court is finalizing a budget that the county will not be able to lock until taxable values and the tax rate are certified in August. A recurring increase to a social‑service contract affects future annual budgets and would be a continuing obligation if approved.

Details from the meeting: Modrill said the program’s cost to produce a meal rose from $9.10 to $9.60 this year; state programs reimburse $6.46 per meal. She described the program’s existing revenue mix: county $1,000/month, City of Baird $1,500/month, City of Clyde $1,000/month, two churches and three regular private donors, a small USDA (Department of Agriculture) grant (about $4,000 last year) and occasional other grants. Modrill asked the court to consider a $200 monthly increase — “that would bring in another 2,400 for the year. So I would be halfway to covering my increase,” she said.

Program scale and operations: Modrill said the program provides congregate and home‑delivered meals in Baird and Clyde and that some months net only small surpluses. A Cross Plains center representative who spoke during the same segment said Cross Plains averages about 85 meals a day and that between Baird and Clyde they serve roughly 130 meals a day when combining congregate and home delivery.

Volunteer staffing and other supports: Speakers said volunteer numbers are tight. Cross Plains and Clyde rely on roughly 20 volunteers a week, with gaps during vacations; the centers also use some high‑school volunteers and occasional college athletes. Modrill credited another local coordinator with helping meet state paperwork requirements.

Next steps: The request was presented during the budget workshop discussion of recurring social‑service allocations; the court did not take a separate formal vote at the meeting. The funding decision will be subject to the court’s further budget deliberations when revenue estimates (including the certified tax rate) are finalized in August.

Sources: Remarks by Deborah Modrill, director, Callahan County Nutrition Project; Cross Plains center representative (public comment); county budget workshop presentation (Sandra, county budget officer).