Hooper council approves 20 vouchers to Riverdale Senior Center at $600 yearly

The Hooper City Council on Monday approved funding for up to 20 annual vouchers so city residents can use programs at the Riverdale Senior Center.

The vouchers will cover half of Riverdale’s $60 annual center fee for participating Hooper residents; Riverdale charges $4 for lunches. Council members agreed the city would pay $30 per voucher, meaning a maximum annual city cost of $600 if all 20 vouchers are used.

Council member Craig moved to approve the expenditure, saying the effort would give seniors access to fitness, crafts and social programs at a neighboring center. “They actually sent me with this newsletter…they charge $60 a year for their residents to come,” the Chair explained in presenting the item and described Riverdale’s facilities and volunteer-led classes. Council members discussed whether the vouchers should be capped at 20; Craig noted the city already budgets for senior lunches and that redirecting those funds would keep the program within current appropriations.

Opponents and questioners pressed whether the city would be opening an entitlement or a slippery slope to fund other memberships. One council member asked, “Are we opening a can of worms into something else by engaging in…authorizing them to go to Riverdale City?” The Chair and others responded that the voucher would be limited, optional, and could be administered on a first-come basis by printing 20 vouchers.

A motion to fund 20 vouchers at a total of $600 per year passed after a second; the council recorded the motion as carried. Councilors said the program is intended to support social interaction and health for older residents and can be capped or revisited in future budgets.

The council did not specify a continuing expansion plan; officials said they would monitor voucher use and administration through the existing budget line for senior services.