May 23, 2019
By: Dwayne Page
The county is planning to fund a full time director’s position for the Alexandria Senior Citizens Center as it does for the Smithville Senior Center.
During Wednesday night’s meeting, the county budget committee voted 3 to 2 to add the director to the county payroll subject to final approval by the county commission with passage of the 2019-20 budget this summer. The director would be paid $21,291 as a first year employee plus benefits for a total budget impact to the county of $28,051.
Voting for the full-time position were committee Chairman Dennis Slager and members Jeff Barnes and Jerry Adcock. Sabrina Farler and Anita Puckett voted no.
The Smithville Senior Director earns $23,352 a year plus benefits as a level 4 employee on the county’s wage tier scale. The total projected budget for the senior citizens program in Smithville is around $32,000 but the county receives a reimbursement each year from UCDD to help support the program of approximately $14,000 which puts the county’s actual cost at $18,000 per year.
Although the county budgeted $6,000 to help support the Alexandria Center for the 2018-19 fiscal year it provides no money for the director’s salary. Funding for the program in Alexandria currently comes through contributions from the Upper Cumberland Development District and United Way totaling near $10,000 and year-round fundraising activities. Up until January, 2019, the Alexandria Senior Director was paid $7.75 per hour for 24 hours per week with no benefits.
Judy Sandlin, Chairman of the Governing Board for the Alexandria Senior Center, made the formal request of the budget committee in April.
“The demands on this (Alexandria) position have outgrown the customary funding through the UCDD, United Way, and traditional fundraisers. It no longer can be limited to 24 hours per week; the demands extend to 40 hours each week,” said Sandlin.
“In addition to the Alexandria Senior Center being open and serving meals 5 days a week (up from 4 days), more advanced skills and experience have become necessary. The position independently manages the facility, volunteers, finances, and inventory, as well as researches, implements, and develops programs to enhance the health and well-being of the senior citizens in the county. Additionally, knowledge of service networks and the ability to communicate (both in writing and verbally) with clients and sponsors alike takes this well above the minimum wage pay grade,” She said.
Sandlin also provided the committee other “relevant statistics”:
*Attendance (Alexandria Senior Center) has gone from an average in 2017-18 of 20 members per day to 27 per day. This figure is expected to rise steadily in the coming year.
*2016 figures for DeKalb County put the age 60+ population at 22%, with 72% below the poverty line (website DataUSA.io)
*The 94 registered members come from all areas of DeKalb, Liberty, Dowelltown, Temperance Hall, Smithville, etc.
*The City of Alexandria funds the building’s electricity, water, and gas.
*The center relies heavily on volunteers for meal service, facility cleaning, and maintenance.
The Director of the Alexandria Senior Center is Sandy Brown. Pam Redmon is Director of the Smithville Senior Center.
Meanwhile the Juvenile Court’s Youth Service Officer will get a raise in the new budget subject to approval of the county commission. The budget committee voted Wednesday evening to recommend that his pay be increased from his current salary of $34,275 to $36,000 but that is less than the $3,300 increase he requested. The overall cost is partly offset by a $9,000 grant the county receives for the program.