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Senior centers warn reimbursement shortfalls threaten transportation services; rail safety advocates seek more education funding
Summary
Directors from multiple Delaware senior centers told the Joint Finance Committee that reimbursement shortfalls and irregular payments for locally run transportation services are forcing centers to cover large deficits and could lead to service suspensions.
Multiple Kent and Sussex County senior centers told the Joint Finance Committee that current reimbursement levels and irregular payments for locally provided transportation services are unsustainable and could force service reductions.
Carolyn Fredericks of the Modern Maturity Center in Kent County said the center faces a suspension of services unless payments arrive on schedule; reported unpaid months total several thousand dollars and the center’s average cost per trip was listed in materials at $22.65. Jessica Kidwell, executive director of the Mimi A. Warren Senior Center in Smyrna, said reimbursements arrive sporadically and that the center covered roughly $81,000 in transportation costs without reimbursement during the prior year; she described a mismatch between the program’s intended monthly payments and the reality of three to five lump payments per year.
Amy Waltz, executive director of the Milford Senior Center, said the program’s reimbursements fell 39% short of the center’s requested amount for the current fiscal year and warned the center will run out of funds by April without additional support. Karen Krause of the Harrington Senior Center described ongoing membership growth and the need for another bus; the center reports delays on a received bus award and a shortfall in operating reimbursement.
Several senior‑center witnesses urged the committee to stabilize and increase the annual appropriation that supports senior center transportation. Committee members said they would consult with DelDOT and the Delaware Transit Corporation on the reimbursement schedule and the mechanics of DTC‑administered reimbursement programs.
Rail safety advocates and Operation Lifesaver representatives also addressed the committee. Stacy Inglis, executive director of the Delaware Safety Council (which now administers Operation Lifesaver statewide), and Crystal Blasius, the council’s rail‑safety chair, asked for funding to expand rail‑safety education to schoolchildren, bus drivers and first responders. They noted there are more than 400 at‑grade rail crossings statewide and said classroom and first‑responder training reduces risk around crossings and rail incidents. Barons Emery of a regional freight operator reiterated employer support and described industry and first‑responder training work under way.
Committee members asked DelDOT and DTC staff to identify the payment schedule constraints and explore whether the senior‑center reimbursement program can be made more regular and predictable. Lawmakers emphasized that reliable transportation is essential for seniors to access medical appointments and other services.
No formal committee action was recorded during public comment; the committee asked agency staff and budget officers to follow up and return with options to stabilize funding and timeliness of payments.
