Before Cobb Commission Chairman Mike Boyce made his case for increasing charges for senior services, including the creation of an annual membership fee, he issued an apology.
Not for the idea of raising fees. As he reiterated several times, often to the derision of some in attendance at a town hall meeting at the East Cobb Senior Center Friday morning, “We’re all in this together” in addressing Cobb’s mounting budget problems.
Rather, Boyce regretted the way the announcement was handled in November, when commissioners voted to impose an annual $60 membership fee to use Cobb senior centers and in some cases charge steep increases in renting rooms for events at those facilities.
Those new charges are set to go into effect on Feb. 1, but because of strong pushback from seniors, Boyce scheduled a series of town hall meetings this month.
The first was at the East Cobb center on Sandy Plains Road, one of the busiest of the five senior centers run by the county, and with a robust schedule of activities and organizations that meet there.
“You’re angry because you feel like we’re shoving this down your throat,” Boyce said to a standing-room only crowd. “That’s why we’re here.”
Many were angry about any increases in general, with some citing living on fixed incomes, and wondering how much the new charges would help solve a budget deficit projected to be $30 million or more for fiscal 2019.
“I’m hoping it’s only $30 million,” Boyce said, rattling off a long list of things that the county isn’t buying these days—including public safety and senior services vehicles—due to the budget crunch.
He deflected criticism that the county’s obligation for SunTrust Park is contributing to the budget woes, which were $20 million for fiscal 2018. Cobb pays $8.4 million annually for its share of the new home of the Atlanta Braves.
When an attendee charged that the county is “Mickey Mousing us around” instead of addressing funding for the stadium, Boyce was adamant:
“The Braves didn’t create this hole. All they did was accelerate the inevitable.”
Of the $405 million fiscal year general fund budget for 2018, around $170 million is earmarked for required services under state law: public safety, courts, roads and water.
A longer list of “essential” services includes code enforcement, finance and budget and planning and zoning. That totals another $146 million.
The longest list of all, “desired” services, has the smallest budget sum of the three: $86 million, and it’s where the budgets for popular programs for parks, libraries and seniors all come from.
Each senior center costs around $250,000 a year to operate, but county officials estimate only 6,100 of Cobb’s 165,000 seniors use them at all.
When a senior asked why the elderly are being asked to share the burden this way, Boyce offered his standard response—”because we’re all in this together”—to a chorus of boos and groans.
“You may not like the answer, but if we don’t fill this [budget] hole, we may have to close places,” he said.
Boyce faced greater opposition to the room rate increases, which in some cases would be 200 or 300 percent higher than what they are now, as well as class fees.
Currently, the Foxtrotters Dance Club pays $120 for its monthly events, and the Marietta Golden K Kiwanis Club pays the same amount for several meetings a year at the East Cobb center.
Those rentals would go up to $200 an event. Class fees would go up from $48 to $112 and $160 for painting classes and from $30 to $50 for yoga and tai chi sessions.
Some worried that their fellow seniors may drop out of coming to the centers, which have become a vital social hub.
One suggestion Boyce said he definitely would take back to the commissioners is a $5 monthly fee, which may be more affordable for some seniors who can’t pay $60 in advance.
After the town hall meeting, East Cobb senior resident Chris Vail said he appreciated Boyce taking the heat, and for apologizing at the outset.
Vail is member of the Golden K Kiwanis, which has met at the East Cobb Senior Center for 22 years. He’s concerned that higher charges for room rental and other club activities would cost the organization $12,000 a year, about the same amount of money the group raises for various children’s charities every year.
“That would put us out of business,” said Vail, a retired police officer from Albany, Ga., and a former Congressional investigator. “There’s a lot of benefit for us to be here.”
He said a user fee for seniors would be fine with him “as long as it is reasonable.” Vail said while he was glad for the chance to be heard, “I only pray that they will listen to us.”
Additional town hall meetings will take place week at the North Cobb, West Cobb, Freeman Poole and Marietta senior centers. The commissioners will discuss the feedback at a work session later this month before scheduling a vote on the new fees.
