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Lake County supervisors direct staff to finalize advocacy letter as AAA faces nearly $1M shortfall without Older Americans Act reauthorization
Summary
County social services staff warned the Lake County Board of Supervisors that omission of Older Americans Act funding from a federal continuing resolution has created an estimated nearly $1 million shortfall for the Area Agency on Aging, and supervisors directed staff to finalize an advocacy letter urging reauthorization.
Rachel Delman Parsons and Area Agency on Aging staff alerted the board that the federal Continuing Resolution passed on Dec. 20, 2024 omitted reauthorization and funding for the Older Americans Act (OAA), creating an estimated shortfall of nearly $1 million for services from Jan. 1 through June 30. Parsons read a draft advocacy letter asking congressional representatives to reauthorize the OAA and restore federal funding to the Area Agency on Aging serving Lake and Mendocino counties.
Parsons said the California Department of Aging has identified state funding the AAA could use as an interim measure, but using state funds now could reduce future flexibility and require a new contracting process that may delay payments to senior centers. "If the Older Americans Act is not reauthorized ... about 60% of our budget is federally funded," Lisa Farrocco, program manager for the Area Agency on Aging, said. Farrocco listed programs that depend heavily or entirely on federal funding, including information and assistance, Alzheimer's day programs, legal services, family caregiver support and tai chi classes; she also noted Meals on Wheels and long‑term care ombudsman services.
Parsons provided service statistics included in the draft letter: the AAA reported it served more than 221,271 meals in 2024 and responded to 26,410 information and assistance calls in Lake County; she also said 18% of Lake County adults live in poverty and cited comparable figures for Mendocino County. Board members and public commenters described the potential impact on seniors as severe. "The Meals on Wheels program is the only social interaction that many of our seniors get," one supervisor said, recounting an example in which a Meals on Wheels driver discovered a fallen resident who needed help.
Supervisors discussed timelines and advocacy steps. Several supervisors noted they had been in contact with congressional staff and asked how the board should proceed; Parsons recommended directing staff to finalize a letter for Board approval and to coordinate with Mendocino County. The board agreed by consensus to have staff return with a finalized letter to place on the next meeting's consent calendar and to have county lobbyists track the issue. Parsons and AAA staff warned of possible delays in reimbursements to senior centers if contracts shift from federal to state funding, and estimated the cost to cover just the meals portion of AAA contracts at about $80,000–$90,000 per month if federal funding were not available.
No formal vote was taken; supervisors gave staff direction to prepare a finalized advocacy letter urging reauthorization of the Older Americans Act and to coordinate with Mendocino County and federal representatives. Staff said they would bring the letter back for placement on consent at the next board meeting so it could be sent promptly to congressional offices.
