Tough budget year expected for senior services

When the Montana legislature convenes on Jan. 3, directors of Agencies on Aging expect a fight to maintain services for seniors.

“It’s going to be a really, really tough legislative year,”  said Jim Atkinson, director of Agency on Aging in Kalispell. “Times are tough. With a lot of unemployment, there’s less tax revenue.”

With estimates of a budget deficit up to $400 million, Atkinson and other directors don’t know what the future holds for the broad array of services they offer from Meals on Wheels to counseling seniors on Medicare choices.

“In order to do a good job for the senior population, you need to have consistency of services,” Atkinson said. “We run our program so there is a lot of consistency. To do that, you have to have a reserve.”

To maintain a reserve, he and other senior service providers are seeking support for returning one-time funding of $3 million back into the budget. The appropriation would mean $138,000 for Agency on Aging here.

Atkinson said he was very pleased with the response from Democratic and Republican candidates at a forum prior to the election.

“Across the board, they said they would support putting the one-time money back into the budget,” he said.

He added that he hoped it wasn’t just campaign rhetoric.

According to Atkinson, those dollars would keep his agency’s reserves in place and would keep services on an even keel. Without the appropriation, the agency must dip deeply into its savings to provide services.

“When the reserves are gone, we’ll be in the same fix as California,” he said.

The Agency on Aging director said he understands the plight faced by legislators. Every cut impacts someone and everyone wants “a piece of the pie.”

In view of that, Atkinson said he and other human service providers support the approach advocated by the nonprofit, nonpartisan Montana Budget & Policy Center.

“The MBPC is saying let’s take a look at a balanced approach to revenues — improving collections,” he said.

The organization’s website lists four points in a summary of the balanced approach:

•Improving collections: The site claims an estimated $300 million in owed taxes goes unpaid each year so Montana should invest in audit and collection activities and pursue policy proposals that ensure everyone pays what is owed.

•Curb tax expenditures: Montana provides tax credits, deductions and exemptions aimed at economic development and job creation. The policy center urges analysis of the results of these measures and elimination of those not providing jobs and business growth.

•Find “true” efficiencies in public spending: Instead of massive service cuts, look at how the cuts impact Montana’s goals and populations. Some states have found savings in corrections and economic development reform that actually improved public safety, according the site.

•Target tax increases: Most states have raised taxes and made spending cuts. The site claims many economists argue that raising taxes, especially on the wealthiest, does less harm that deep cuts to public programs, services and infrastructure.

Atkinson said he doesn’t expect the legislature to raise taxes. He does hope legislators agree with collecting taxes now owed.

He said the state’s revenue collection office is operating eight positions short.

“We should fund that office — every dollar put in gets $8 back,” he said. “Services are going to be cut if we can’t find a way to enhance revenue without increasing taxes.”

He also supports the idea of looking into the impact of the tax credits, deductions and exemptions. Atkinson said no one ever goes back to see if the assumptions about these economic development devices hold true.

“If they don’t, eliminate them,” he said. “Then the pie is bigger and you can improve human services.”

 According to the Montana Budget & Policy Center, the Agencies on Aging have reason for concern. The website cites eliminating the Meals on Wheels program as one of several preliminary options under consideration by legislators.

Other options listed are cutting full-time kindergarten, Medicaid coverage for dental and optometic care, releasing inmates early, reducing child care assistance and closing courts one day per week.

 Atkinson said he has no problem testifying to legislators about the benefits of investing in senior services.

“If an organization can’t justify its services, they ought not to be involved,” he said. “Agency on Aging, on a one-to-one basis, can justify their existence in a heartbeat.”

He pointed to a flood of people coming in for help with their Medicare choices since Montana has fewer prescription drug plans this year as well as advantage plan providers who have dropped the state.

In another indication of service demand, the Meals on Wheels annual Thanksgiving meal served Nov. 19 attracted a record number of congregate diners as well as delivery requests at 415.

“Usually we serve 260 to 280,” he said. “It bumped up big time.”

Atkinson said the meals program provides a two-fold benefit — people need to eat and people need the camaraderie. Surveys of participants rate the company as even more important than the food.

He said people interested in assisting the Agency on Aging should contact their legislator in support of returning the one-time funding of $3 million to the state budget for senior services.

Reporter Candace Chase may be reached at 758-4436 or by e-mail at cchase@dailyinterlake.com.