Butler County's Department of Aging presented its 2026 budget recommendations at the July 8 workshop, asking targeted increases to senior-center funding and a small expansion of a county homemaker program to assist residents on waiting lists for state services.

Aging director Crystal told commissioners the department successfully expanded programming and partnerships after COVID, and that senior centers in Andover, El Dorado and Augusta have shown significant growth. The department recommended $2,000 increases for larger centers and $200 increases for smaller centers, with a larger increase proposed for the Andover Senior Center to bring it closer to funding parity with El Dorado and Augusta based on recent performance.

The department also asked to expand a small county-run homemaker program from providing services to 18 participants to 20. That program serves as a stopgap for people waiting on the state-funded Senior Care Act services (waiting lists of three to six months); the program helps keep people at home and avoid nursing-home placement. Crystal said workforce-development grant funds provided one-time training and other supports, but that the majority of senior-center funding and many grants remain stagnant year-to-year, requiring the department to cover staff salary increases from administrative funds if grants do not increase.

Commissioners asked questions about long-term funding and possible performance-based funding approaches; Crystal said she would bring back proposed performance standards after the budget process to consider merit-based allocations in future years.

Ending: Commissioners received the department's budget request and asked staff to return with any proposed performance standards later in the year; no final appropriation was decided at the workshop.