SUNBURY - Northumberland County Area Agency on Aging Advisory Board approved a proposed $3.9 million spending plan for 2013-14 during its annual budget hearing Wednesday morning.
The budget is approximately $235,000 less than the current spending plan and reflects an estimated savings of $900,000 from 2011-12.
The savings include a $42,000 reduction in rent negotiated by Northumberland County Commissioner Vinny Clausi that takes effect July 1. Other savings were generated by the elimination of one administrator position, two senior action centers being merged with other centers, one center becoming part time and a savings of $70,000 in staff through the furlough of two employees and another worker being reduced to part time.
Patricia Crone-Zalinski, president of the advisory board, and Patricia A. Rumberger, AAA administrator, told agency employees, providers and advisory board members that it was imperative for the state to free up more Lottery money to assist agencies.
"We've been flat-funded for the past seven years," Rumberger said. "We need more money to continue to provide services."
Karen Leonovich, AAA deputy administrator, added, "We are serving more people now than eight years ago with the same amount of funding."
Rumberger said the employment service Title V program was turned over to Experience Works to administer, which will save $50,000 in block grant funds.
She reported the cost of home-delivered meals and congregate meals is expected to increase at least 1.5 percent, starting July 1.
As of Dec. 1, Rumberger said the agency saved $20,000 by eliminating transportation for people between the ages of 60 and 65, and $400,000 by eliminating four staff positions and related costs by withdrawing from the aging waiver program.
On Jan. 1, the Upper Northumberland Senior Action Center in Dewart merged with the Milton center and the Riverside center merged with the Northumberland facility. Services at the Elysburg center also were reduced to three days per week.
Rumberger said daily attendance at the centers between January and March was as follows: Elysburg, 19.7; Herndon, 30; Kulpmont, 19.6; Milton, 30; Mount Carmel, 26.8; Northumberland, 25.2; Shamokin, 40.2; Sunbury, 23.4; and Trevorton, 16.4.
Crone-Zalinski said the agency supports Gov. Tom Corbett's budget proposal to include an additional $50 million in Lottery proceeds to preserve, improve and expand home and community based services that are an effective alternative to nursing home care for seniors.
While the AAAs around the state have offered no opinion regarding the appropriateness or legality of Corbett's proposal to have a private firm operate the Lottery, Rumberger and Crone-Zalinski said the need for services is real and there are Lottery funds available that should be used to meet that need regardless of the outcome of the proposed private management agreement.
Rumberger said Lottery funds continue to grow despite the more than $1 billion in proceeds transferred to the Pennsylvania Medicaid program over the past five years, including a record $309 million in fiscal year 2012-2013. The Lottery has an anticipated ending balance of $187 million, with an additional $75 million in reserve, she said.
Northumberland County AAA serves approximately 6,000 citizens. The county, which has an overall population of approximately 90,000, has an estimated 24,000 seniors.
Rumberger noted that, by 2030, 70 million Americans (one in five) will be 65 or older.
The Area Agency budget does not need to be approved by county commissioners because of its funding from state and federal sources.
Others offering remarks during the hearing were AAA fiscal officer Anmarie Shehata, Pennsylvania Council on Aging representative Jim Poploskie, Northumberland County Commissioner Richard Shoch, Melissa Blair and Jeffrey Cole, constituent outreach specialists for state Reps. Kurt Masser (R-107) and Lynda Schlegel-Culver (R-108), respectively.