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Agencies question budget cuts
Published 7/30/2009 in Local News
By STEPHANIE FARLEY
Mark Hinde, CEO/president of Southwest Developmental Services Inc. (SDSI), and service providers that SDSI funnels money to for those in the community with developmental disabilities don't think they're getting a fair shake and are being asked to carry more of the burden with proposed 2010 budget reductions for Finney County.
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Emily Behlmann/Telegram — Cassie Lobdell, right, and others served by Mosaic, participate in a daily workout session in 2008. Mosaic is one agency that will see a budget reduction in 2010 if Finney County commissioners approve the proposed budget.
Hinde and a group of providers plan to speak with commissioners Aug. 10 about the cut the county's proposing SDSI receive.
During this year's budget presentations from departments and agencies for 2010, some Finney County commissioners said there would most likely be no increases for 2010, that everyone would share the tight budget year.
Proposed cuts in funding came July 13 during the commission's budget workshop. That afternoon, County Administrator Pete Olson called the various outside agencies and informed department heads of the cuts and shifting of funds in some areas.
When Hinde got the call, he learned the commission cut his agency, SDSI, from a requested $249,966 to $180,000 -- that's also down $20,000 from SDSI's 2009 funding of $200,000.
On Wednesday, Hinde sat with Chris McKinney, CEO of Sunflower Home Health, Sandy Fine with Providence Professional Service, Mosaic Executive Director Debbie Reynolds and Earl McGinn, chief financial officer for SDSI, explaining how the cut will impact SDSI and the providers of services for those with disabilities, which are served by SDSI.
What Hinde takes issue with, he said of the cuts, is that if it were a cut across the board or even a cut here or there, he'd understand. Hinde said he doesn't have a problem with everyone sharing the budget cuts.
"But man, we've taken it and more," Hinde said of county cuts to SDSI's budget.
"We've already shared the pain," Hinde said, explaining he feels SDSI has suffered county budget cuts much more than other outside agencies have.
"And you just have to ask why?" McGinn said.
Plans
The group of providers and Hinde intend to speak with commissioners at 9:30 a.m. Aug. 10 during the commission's budget hearing.
Hinde said he has remained quiet for the county's past cuts to SDSI, but he will not remain silent any longer. What Hinde sees when he looks at the cuts goes well beyond SDSI not receiving its $249,966 and being cut to $180,000 for 2010.
Instead, Hinde starts in 2006 with the entity funded at $270,675 and saw about a 15 percent decrease in 2007 to $230,000 in funding. The entity stayed level for 2008, receiving $230,000, and then took a 13 percent cut in 2009 to $200,000.
For 2010, Hinde figures SDSI is receiving a 10 percent cut from the $200,000 this year to $180,000 for next year.
Altogether, Hinde contends SDSI has received a 33.5 percent reduction in Finney County funding the past four years since 2006.
Because of the several big cuts, Hinde wonders, "Have we just been an easy cut?"
Other county cuts from 2010 requested amounts included a $5,000 reduction for Western Kansas Weather Modification project; $10,000 for Finney County Extension; $22,000 from Building Maintenance's budget; $32,000 to Finney County Committee on Aging; and $5,000 from Area Mental Health. The county also raised Russell Child Development Center to $135,000, up from 2009's amount of $134,000 but down from 2010's request of $181,595.33.
SDSI is a community developmental disability organization (CDDO) that serves 18 counties, including Finney, in southwest Kansas. As a CDDO, SDSI isn't a service provider.
Rather, SDSI contracts with the state to ensure services are available locally for children and adults with developmental disabilities.
SDSI and other CDDOs serve as a resource for available services.
According to Hinde, SDSI also determines whether individuals qualify and are eligible for the services. Counties can either provide the service, Hinde said, or they contract with someone else to provide the service -- Sedgwick and Wyandotte counties provide their own.
The funding SDSI receives from its 18 counties goes into a pool — about 90 percent goes back to the providers through billing in those counties, and 10 percent covers administrative costs.
Ninety percent of the county reduction for 2010 "is on our back," McKinney said of the providers who handle the services, whether it's for transportation, community employment or access to medical and other services to clients suffering from disabilities.
"It hurts them a lot more than it does us," Hinde said of the cut to providers, adding SDSI has revised its administrative budget. "But we're administrative only."
While the money paid out of the pool to providers is based on the number of people served, the less money in the pool, the less there is to give to the providers.
Choices
On July 13, commissioners discussed each department and outside agency receiving funding from the county.
When SDSI came up during the workshop, Olson explained to commissioners SDSI is an entity that funds a lot of agencies that are also receiving cuts from the state and other funding sources.
Commissioner Don Doll said the county can't pick up the tab left from state cuts. Doll and fellow commissioners Larry Jones and Roman Halbur approved dropping SDSI to $180,000. Commissioners Cliff Mayo and Dave Jones opposed the move.
This morning, Halbur said that when cutting, he considered the county's key services it offers, such as road and bridge, public safety, etc. He said he felt that if the county shorted social programs on some funding, those programs could find the money elsewhere.
With the tough economy, Halbur said, he'd rather see the agencies make up the cuts from other funding sources rather than the county demand an increase from taxpayers who are already having problems paying now.
The Finney County Sheriff's Office was one of the county's basic services that received a larger cut during the July workshop to its 2010 proposed budget. Commissioners reduced the request by $195,282 to $5.5 million for 2010. The proposed 2010 budget, even with the cut, is up $192,679 from 2009's budget.
Mayo said Wednesday he felt the commission should have increased the county's mill levy a little more to prepare for a possible tougher budget year for 2011. The county is proposing a mill levy of 37.304 mills — a .978-mill increase over 2009.
There are agencies that haven't been funded near what they asked for, Mayo said, adding the commission will be glad to listen to anyone wanting to speak to commissioners.
"We'll just have to wait and see what they say," Mayo said of SDSI.
Reynolds said talking to the commission might not change anything, but the group will speak for those with disabilities who are unable to speak for themselves.
On the Web:
SDSI: http://www.sdsicddo.com/
Who's responsible for funding social services if the state makes cuts? Talk about it at SWKTalk.com.
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