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Williams County aging services project $143,000 shortfall; director proposes higher suggested donation and operational changes
Summary
The county Department of Aging reported serving nearly 2,900 people in 2025 and delivering 137,718 meals, but staff projected a $143,000 shortfall for 2026. Director Sarah Stubblefield proposed raising the suggested meal donation from $3 to $4, pursuing grants and reconfiguring some site staffing to protect home-delivered meals for the most vulnerable.
Sarah Stubblefield, director of Williams County's Department of Aging, told commissioners March 5 that the department served 2,896 individuals in 2025, provided 137,718 meals and logged roughly 75,000 miles on delivery routes. Based on current revenue and rising costs for food, fuel and insurance, Stubblefield said she expects a roughly $143,000 shortfall in 2026 and that the department will need to draw on a $541,964 carryover to cover the gap.
Stubblefield described the department's revenue mix as roughly 70 percent levy funds, 15 percent from the Area Office on Aging and 15 percent from donations and suggested contributions. To limit the draw on carryover she told commissioners she will raise the suggested meal donation from $3 to $4 (Area Office on Aging approval has been obtained for the change), review open positions to limit benefit costs, pursue grants (United Way and Parkview are potential sources) and add an online donation option to the county website.
Commissioners and staff discussed site-level operations at Pioneer, where regular attendance can be as low as 10 participants on many days. Stubblefield said a fully loaded site-manager position costs about $72,000 per year and that the board will have to weigh whether to maintain multiple small centers or consolidate services to use levy dollars most efficiently. She emphasized that home-delivered meals for roughly 380 homebound residents represent the department's highest-priority service.
Stubblefield asked the board for time to reconfigure services and for flexibility while she pursues grants and staffing changes; commissioners asked for monthly updates and additional proposals to balance the department budget without abrupt service cuts.
Next steps: Stubblefield will return monthly with progress on the donation change, grant applications and operational adjustments and will coordinate with auditor and treasurer staff on any budget or split adjustments.
