Golden Hour Senior Center is facing a dire funding situation as a result of funding cuts made by the Sweetwater County commissioners, which forced the center’s director, Jackie Grubb, to approach the Green River City Council, for additional help.
Grubb told the Council the center’s funding from the county was dropped from $220,000 to $150,000 as the commissioners continued examining the county budget. The $70,000 in lost revenue impacts the center’s salaries, which Grubb said may result in layoffs and reduced services to Green River’s older residents.
“This is the budget we pay our employees our from,” she said.
The funding cut comes at a time when GHSC has seen an increase in the number of people using its services. Grubb said the center has seen active users grow from 500 to 800 during the past year, which has as has also resulted in more meals being served and other services used. Meanwhile, Grubb said the center has decreased staff from 13 employees to eight and struggles to find people interested in working at the center, due to lower wages offered.
She also said the center does not offer health insurance or retirement account, but said the center can be a fun place to work.
Regardless, she said the cuts will harm the center and while the center intends to conduct fundraising to help bring more revenue to the center, it will need more money to sustain its services.
The center does have cash reserves to help fund itself and receives federal grants for some of its services, however has already endured funding cuts from the state last year as a result of the state’s 2020 budgetary woes.
Grubb claimed the commissioners made the cut believing the city should have a larger role in funding the center as it serves Green River solely. Councilman Gary Killpack specifically asked about cuts to the Young-at-Heart center in Rock Springs, which Grubb said were not as drastic as the cuts placed on Golden Hour’s funding.
The commissioners are scheduled to adopt the 2021-2022 budget tonight.
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