Gadsden County approves $64,000 senior-services budget amendment, defers Greensboro allocation

Gadsden County commissioners on Wednesday approved a budget amendment to move $64,000 into the county’s senior-centers budget, voting 5–0 to adopt Resolution 2026-015 while excluding an earmark for Greensboro until the board receives additional details.

The amendment, introduced by staff, shifts contingency money into the seniors line and lists specific line items and local allocations. During public comment, Pastor Terrell Jackson of St. Luke Primitive Baptist Church in Midway described an operational senior-day program that now “is currently averaging about 35 to 50 seniors per gathering” and urged the county to consider discretionary or programmatic support so the model can expand. Russell Harrison, director of Born to Be a Man mentoring program in Quincy, also asked the county for financial help, saying, “We are right now, we have a total of 37 young men… We’re asking Gadsden County to give us a donation this year of 10,000,” to support youth events and trips.

Commission debate focused on how best to channel and oversee the money. Commissioner Green argued the funds should be routed through the county’s Elderly Affairs Department so that a single office is “responsible for giving us the reports from the individual entities” and can ensure accountability. Latoya Friesen, identified by speakers as director of Elderly Affairs, told the board that she had received only initial reports and that “no additional reports have been received” since then.

Some commissioners and seniors pushed for rapid disbursement to get services started, while others asked staff to produce activity reports and clarifications on fiscal mechanics before moving all line items. The county attorney and finance staff explained that the proposed transfer is an interbudget movement of grant and contingency funds and, as explained on the record, does not require a separate public hearing under Chapter 129 of the Florida statutes; the attorney said the county will publish the legal opinion and provide it to affected employees.

After discussion, the board approved the amendment as presented while excluding the Greensboro allocation for separate review. The chair said Greensboro’s request would return to the board in two weeks or at a special meeting so staff can provide the additional documentation requested by commissioners and members of the public.

Votes at a glance: the board recorded these outcomes during the same meeting — Resolution 2026-015 (senior-centers budget amendment): approved, 5–0 (Greensboro line item deferred); AARP tax-assistance agreement (11b): approved, 5–0; Legislative advocacy/public relations agreement with L. Lawson & Associates (11c): approved, 5–0; RFP to solicit federal legislative-lobby services (11d): the board voted 3–2 to proceed with the RFP; an RFQ/engineering item for road and bridge professional services (11g) was tabled for additional DOT-related communications.

What’s next: staff was directed to gather and circulate activity reports from the senior centers and to return with a Greensboro-specific recommendation. Commissioners also asked for follow-up work on a broader nonprofit application process to handle future requests for senior programming support.

Quotes: “This program is already working with county support. It can serve as a scalable model,” Pastor Terrell Jackson said of his senior-day program. Commissioner Green said he wanted “a little bit more unity as it relates to the Elderly Affairs Department” and preferred having the department disperse county funds and provide reports. County staff and counsel clarified procedural and reporting details for the record.

The commission meeting closed after a number of other agenda items, including discussion of procurement and community events. The next regular meeting will include the follow-up on Greensboro and any related documentation requested by the board.