By Charlene Sims, info@linncountyjournal.com
MOUND CITY – On Monday, July 15, the Linn County Commissioners tentatively approved the elderly budget for the county and postponed a decision on the Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center budget.
The 2025 elderly budget had not been approved at the July 1 meeting even though the request of $233,000 was nearly $9,000 lower than last year. Commission Chair Danny McCullough wanted more information about the money paid to the East Central Kansas Area Agency on Aging (ECKAAA).
At the July 1 meeting, he wanted ECKAAA staff to come and present how the $13,500 membership fees and $31,500 for meals were spent.
McCullough explained that he wanted ECKAAA to present the numbers of people served in Linn County and the amount that the county paid per person compared to other counties in the group. He also wanted to look at the cost of meals as compared to Linn County preparing their own meals in the jail kitchen of the county’s Justice Center.
At the July 15 meeting, Sherri Huschka, the fiscal manager of ECKAAA answered many of McCullough’s questions. Huschka said that in 2023, more than 18,100 congregate meals were served at the cost of approximately $1.75 per meal. State and federal funds cover the additional costs.
She told the commissioners that close to 1,500 Linn County residents received services in 2024.
Commissioner Jason Hightower, a member of the ECKAAA board, pointed out that the cost of services was $30.14 per person for 2023.
McCullough told Huschka that she had provided good information. The commissioners tentatively approved the county’s 2024 elderly budget.
At the July 15 meeting, Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center (SEKMHC) CEO Nathan Fawson presented the 2025 SEKMHC budget request of slightly more than $125,800, which he said was a 3% increase from the 2024 budget.
County Clerk David Lamb reminded that commissioners that the actual amount Linn County budgeted for SEKMHC in 2024 was $68,000.
Fawson told the commissioners that they were focusing on enhancing the depth and types of crisis services. He went over the ride-along services that SEKMHC was doing with law enforcement in Linn County. Other services offered are the 24/7 crisis services, including therapy, case management, a variety of community-based services, psychiatry and chemical abuse counseling.
Hightower asked what other counties paid and how many people were served. He said that he was interested in knowing the amount of money put into the hardship cases. Fawson had told the commissioners that the funding from the county goes to people unable to pay for services.
The commissioners decided to wait on tentatively approving the SEKMHC 2025 budget until they got the funding and numbers information. McCullough also said he would like to know how much actual involvement the mental health center did at the jail both in person or through video network.
“Is there any way we can do this kind of like we did Tri-Ko, to get them to come in here and give us numbers like what they do on a different region, numbers compared and what other counties contribute?” ask McCullough.
Hightower said he would get with ECKAAA and see if they could do that.
McCullough said he also wanted to look into the costs of preparing the meals for the elderly at the Justice Center.
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