Southampton senior center warns staffing cuts would cripple services without FY27 override

Kate Danto, director of the Southampton Council on Aging, said the town’s senior center would face ‘‘catastrophic’’ operational impacts if the FY27 budget proceeds without a voter-backed override.

Danto detailed how rising demand and a mix of grant and nonprofit support have kept the center running: the center had 70 new members last year, a roughly 20% increase in attendance since 2024, about 9,000 check‑ins for events in the past year and roughly 65 ongoing programs. ‘‘We can’t’’ run most programming on the roughly $2,500 the town’s tax-supported line covers, she said, adding that most programs are sustained by the Friends of the Southampton Council on Aging and state grants.

Why it matters: the center provides benefits navigation, Medicare counseling, transportation and daily social and exercise programs that residents use for both social and essential-service needs.

Danto named specific supports that would be jeopardized if staff positions are cut under the base-budget (no-override) scenario: the program coordinator, co‑coordinator, administrative assistant, outreach worker and volunteer coordinator. She said those positions keep the center able to schedule and advertise programs, run long one‑on‑one Medicare counseling sessions, manage van scheduling and maintain grant reporting.

‘‘Our program coordinator just organizes and makes sure that all of our programs are set…Pam keeps us organized,’’ Danto said, citing tasks that would be left undone without paid staff. She later said losing the positions ‘‘would be absolutely catastrophic to our day‑to‑day operations.’’

Funding context: Danto said the center received a $25,000 FY26 earmark distributed through Senator Velis’s office and the Executive Office of Aging and Independence and has used earlier modernization grants to buy ADA picnic tables, assistive‑listening equipment and interior furniture. She also said a FY26, full‑reimbursement grant through the Franklin Regional Transit Authority will cover $35,000 for van operations (vehicle, fuel and driver salaries) so the center can transport seniors to medical appointments and shopping.

State formula grants provide additional operating support: Danto said the formula—allocated per resident age 60 and older based on the 2020 census—rose from $15 to $16 per person, and she estimated the town’s FY26 formula allocation at about $30,640. She cautioned that the formula grant must be approved annually and is not guaranteed.

Staff roles and services: Danto identified staff and volunteers who carry out core functions: administrative assistant Darlene Matyoka (4 hours weekly) handles data entry and FRTA reporting; outreach worker Michelle Murdoch (joined March 2025) is SHINE‑certified to provide neutral Medicare counseling and also serves as a veteran service officer (VSO); Andrea is the volunteer coordinator who recruits and schedules front‑desk volunteers; van drivers include Bill Kita and Tim Huber. Danto stressed that volunteers cannot be used to take medical scheduling calls because of privacy (HIPAA) rules—those calls must be handled by staff.

Transportation and partnerships: Danto said the senior center is negotiating details on a possible PVTA‑funded shuttle that would connect residents to regional transit hubs; the center is awaiting a final contract and said the position would be grant‑funded if approved.

Looking ahead: Zback reminded listeners that the annual town meeting is May 2 at Norris Elementary School and the town election is May 19, and that budget documents are posted on the town website. Danto invited community members to volunteer and attend upcoming events, including a volunteer appreciation lunch next Friday.

The center’s leadership said the combination of rising demand, restricted local tax funding for programming and the potential loss of paid staff makes the outcome of the FY27 override a pivotal determinant of seniors’ access to services in Southampton.