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Senators press Department on Aging over carry‑forward funds as some meal programs risk cuts
Summary
During a Senate oversight hearing, lawmakers pressed Connie Munn, director of the South Carolina Department on Aging, about roughly $1.65 million in unencumbered general‑fund carry‑forward and whether it could be used to prevent cuts to home‑delivered meals programs facing shortfalls this fiscal year.
Connie Munn, director of the South Carolina Department on Aging, told a Senate oversight hearing that some local "meals on wheels" providers are at risk of not meeting demand before the end of the fiscal year and that lawmakers have asked whether the department can reallocate carry‑forward funds to avert service interruptions.
Munn said the department has general‑fund carry‑forward authority and that some funds are not currently obligated. "We cannot," she said when asked directly whether the department could immediately move the money to pay seniors through the end of the fiscal year, adding that allocations to Area Agencies on Aging have been pushed out and that some funds carry proviso or administrative constraints.
Senators pressed for specifics. A committee member said the president of the Senate and other legislators had asked whether about $1,650,000 of carry‑forward could be used to help providers, particularly in Aiken County, which the member said faces a shortfall. Munn confirmed the figure and said she would provide details on the source of any spending constraints, including whether a proviso or other statutory language limits use.
Committee members also asked for breakdowns of the department's budget and other revenues. Munn said the department's fiscal 2024 budget was roughly 51% federal, 38% general fund and 11% other funds; she identified about $948,000 in annual revenue generated from bingo funds routed through the Department of Revenue. She said the agency has 52 staff and that some appropriation authority represents carry‑forward or authorization rather than cash on hand.
Lawmakers sought clarity on how much of the carry‑forward is already obligated. Munn said the agency had a general‑fund carry‑forward and that approximately $350,000 of carry‑forward was obligated for agency renovations tied to a new lease; she said the department's general‑fund carry‑forward figure would be provided in more detail to the committee. A committee member referred the matter to the president's office and signaled staff will work with the department to determine whether constraints can be loosened to avert senior hunger.
Why it matters: Department on Aging nutrition programs provide home‑delivered and congregate meals to older South Carolinians; committee members flagged that cuts to those services can remove a significant portion of daily food for some participants. Munn reported that the home‑delivered meals program served 14,518 clients in fiscal year 2023–24 and delivered about 1.9 million meals statewide. Senators asked the department to report back with the legal source of any spending restrictions and with regional data on immediate risk of service reductions.
