Vermilion Council on Aging In Need Of Help

Before the Vermilion Parish Police Jury gives the O.K. to let the Vermilion Council on Aging put a new property tax millage on the ballot in November, it first wants to see the council on aging do what it can to trim fat.
Gary Green, the new president of the council on aging board, approached some members of the police jury at a special meeting on Monday to explain the financial troubles the council on aging is in.
For starters, the council on aging recently borrowed $15,000 from a local bank to meet payroll.
Second, the council on aging is losing an average of $15,000 a month because expenses exceed its revenue.
With a month left to go in the fiscal year, the council on aging is looking at $150,000 deficit.
This year, they lost two grants worth $120,000, which was used for operations.
It does not have enough money to repair things that break in centers located in Abbeville, Gueydan, Kaplan and Erath.
After the gloomy financial presentation, Green and council on aging board member Stanton Hardee were hoping that the police jury would be in favor of putting a property tax on the ballot that would generate $360,00 a year for the council on aging.
Instead, the jurors gave suggestions on how to cut costs as a way to save money.
The police jury does not oversee the council on aging,.nor does it tell it how to operate. Green and Hardee only approached the police jury because it needs the jury’s approval to put a parishwide tax on the ballot.
The council on aging’s Meals on Wheels program seems to be the program that is eating up fiances for the council on aging.
Each day, paid council on aging employees deliver more than 350 meals throughout the parish. In the last month, those employees have not been paid for their mileage because of finances. They deliver those meals each day.
Errol Domingues, a police juror, suggested delivering frozen meals, instead of hot meals, to each home. The council on aging driver would deliver seven frozen meals once a week to each home. By delivering once a week, it would save the council on aging money, Domingues said.
“Can the police jury help us out?” said Hardee.
Instead of giving an answer of yes or no, the jurors gave suggestions on ways to cut expenses.
One suggestion would be to try and save on the electricity the council on aging pays to operate the centers located in Kaplan, Gueydan, Erath and Abbeville.
The jurors suggested to Green and Hardee that they contact each mayor and explain to them their financial situation in hopes of getting help from each city.
Erath Mayor John Earl said the town of Erath already helps the council on aging by donating just under $2,000 a year for the Meals on Wheels program and the town does not send the council on aging an electrical bill because they are located in the housing authority building in Erath.
The housing authority, however, sends the council on aging an electrical bill.
The city of Abbeville lets the council on aging stay in its building for free and maintains the outside of the building at no cost. Abbeville Mayor Mark Piazza said it would be illegal to give away electricity to the council on aging.
Council on Aging board members are hoping to have a meeting with the mayors next week in hopes of looking for financial assistance from the towns.
The council on aging board has until the end of the month to figure out how to generate money or cut programs.
“If we do not find help, we are going to shut down everything and park the vans,” said Hardee.