Archives
[Back] [Email to a Friend] [Printer Friendly Version]Service Providers Push County For Funds
To Pay For Wages, Health Insurance
The Capital Times :: COMMUNITIES :: 1C
Friday, September 13, 2002
By Bill Novak The Capital Times
Dane County's human services providers are not getting enough money from
the county to keep up with the cost of living, especially for wages and health
insurance costs.That was the message delivered to three county committees and County Executive Kathleen Falk during the second and final public hearing on the $204 million Human Services Department budget for 2003.
About 150 people jammed a meeting room at the Alliant Energy Center Thursday night, with speaker after speaker telling the assembled committees the level of funding isn't keeping up with costs, which makes it hard for the service providers to maintain the level of quality they want to give to their clients and the level of quality expected by those same clients.
Even though the Human Services Department's proposed tax levy increase of 6.88 percent is more than twice as high as Falk's edict to all departments to keep the levy increase at 3.11 percent, it still won't be enough to cover costs, according to representatives of the service provider agencies. The hearing centered on programs for people with developmental disabilities and mental health problems, the elderly, and the Badger Prairie Health Care Center.
 |
"This year's budget is as hard as ever," Falk said. "We worked hard to get as much as possible from the state Legislature, but for every dollar the state doesn't give to us, we have to make up for in the tax levy."
The human services budget includes a 1 percent cost of living adjustment to service providers and funding to ensure the service providers can pay their employees enough in wages to comply with the living wage ordinance, which increases to $8.70 an hour in 2003.
Even with the increases many agencies are hurting financially because the increases can't keep up with rising costs.
"Our costs keep going up," said David Stucki of RSVP of Dane County, which provides transportation and delivers meals around Dane County. "Our health insurance costs went up 34 percent this year and are projected to go up 30 percent in 2003."
Nell Mally, chair of the Area Agency on Aging Board, said a lack of funding equates to a lack of staff, and the services her agency provides as case managers for seniors are being used by a growing elderly population.
"The population of the elderly in Dane County is up 17 percent in the last 10 years, while the national average is 10 percent," Mally said, "and we are steadily falling behind in funding."
Agencies received a 2 percent cost of living increase in 2002; the 2003 budget calls for a 1 percent increase. Speakers told the committees a 3 percent increase would be better, and would be in line with the wage increase coming up for county employees, said Richard Berling, executive director of Madison Area Rehab Centers and spokesman for the Developmental Disabilities Coalition.
"Dane County contracting policies are placing quality services for people with developmental disabilities at risk. Resources are being withheld from deserving workers and provider staff, and consumers deserve fair treatment," Berling said. "Now is the chance to reverse the trend of shortchanging the most vulnerable people in our society."
Maureen Arcand of Movin' Out Inc., an agency that helps the disabled get their own homes, said the county's help is essential in allowing the agency to continue the work it has done for almost 10 years.
"I hope you maintain for another year your level of support," Arcand said.
She said the developmentally disabled have similar wants and needs as the general population, including the desire to have their own homes. "Not only is the general population living longer, but people with disabilities are also living longer," Arcand said.
Jean Robertson, vice chair of the Developmental Disabilities Coalition, gave a blunt assessment of how much is needed from the county for service provider agencies to continue providing quality services.
"We must receive a 3 percent cost of living adjustment so we have enough funding to meet the $8.70 per hour living wage and we also need a separate health insurance cost increase of 1.5 percent," Robertson said. "If we don't get a 3 percent cost of living adjustment, we won't be able to pay for the salary increase."
The testimony given by the public and the service providers at the two public hearings will be used by the joint committees to make final adjustments to the $204 million human services budget.
Falk will present the full 2003 county budget to the County Board by Oct. 1. The board will hold its budget sessions during October, with the 2003 budget expected to be voted on in November.
