Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Senior Services topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Webster Parish Council on Aging asks Springhill voters for 1.75 mill to sustain Meals on Wheels
Summary
The Webster Parish Council on Aging told the Springhill City Council it needs a 1.75 mill property tax on the Dec. 7 ballot to cover a roughly $77,000 shortfall and maintain Meals on Wheels, congregate meals and building upkeep; the agency projected an $823,000 budget for next year.
Karen G, outreach education coordinator for the Webster Parish Council on Aging, told the Springhill City Council that the nonprofit is asking voters to approve a 1.75 mill property tax on the Dec. 7 ballot to sustain its Meals on Wheels and senior services.
The presenter said the council on aging operates on a 2020 budget and is facing higher food and operating costs after COVID-era funds were exhausted. “We have a projected budget next year of $823,000 and revenue of $748,487,” Karen G said, adding the agency is about $77,000 short without the proposed millage. She told council members the funds would be used to update Meals on Wheels operations, maintain and repair the agency’s buildings, and keep other support services running.
Karen G outlined the range of services the agency provides: daily congregate meals (with a suggested $2 donation), home-delivered Meals on Wheels (frozen weekly deliveries), homemaker assistance, transportation for medical and shopping trips, and outreach and referrals. She said many clients cannot afford even small suggested donations and that the agency relies on a mix of federal, state, local and contributed funds.
A long-time volunteer described the center as a daily lifeline for isolated seniors and urged council members to support the agency’s request. “We have changed lives,” the volunteer said, noting seniors who otherwise would have nowhere to go benefit from meals, companionship and casework; the volunteer also referred council members to Executive Director Johnny Johnson for more information.
Council members asked practical questions about the tax impact. One council member asked how much revenue the 1.75 mill would yield; a rough figure of about $500,000 was offered in the discussion as an estimate of gross tax revenue for the taxing jurisdiction, though no formal calculation was presented to the council during the meeting.
Karen G said about 20 people are currently waiting to be placed on the Meals on Wheels list and warned that program cuts would be necessary without new funding. She left informational handouts and yard signs for outreach and asked the council and community to encourage voter support ahead of the Dec. 7 ballot.
The presentation concluded with council members thanking the speakers. The millage measure will appear on the December 7 ballot for voter consideration.
