After Cobb seniors were asked to pay a membership fee and pay higher fees for services at county senior centers this year, a senior citizens group is asking that they be eliminated or at least reconsidered.
At a recent Cobb Board of Commissioners meeting, June Van Brackle, president of the Senior Citizen Council of Cobb County, cited a figure that fewer than 3,000 seniors are using the centers this year, compared to around 6,500 before the fees were imposed.
Earlier, commissioners set an annual membership fee of $60 a person to take part in activities at the senior centers.
In January, Cobb Commission Chairman Mike Boyce held a town hall meeting at the East Cobb Senior Center to get input on the proposed fees (see photo above) as part of the county’s budget process.
While some were upset by the membership fees and higher cost for activities fees and room rentals, he said “we’re all in this together.”
One group that regularly met at the East Cobb Senior Center has stopped having regular events there. The Foxtrotters Ballroom Dance Club, held a farewell dance in June after 21 years. They’re having a reunion dance there on Jan. 18.
Here’s more from Van Brackle’s remarks:
The Senior Citizens Council of Cobb is urging the Board of Commissioners to eliminate these mandatory fees. Cobb County is renowned for the services it offers to its residents. The reduction in participation at the five centers can only be a major detriment to the overall quality of life for Cobb seniors.
The Senior Citizen Council of Cobb County is an all-volunteer organization that has been in existence for 45 years and advocates for better public policies for Cobb seniors. The Council has always been against additional burden on our oldest citizens and if you are interested, we ask that you contact your commissioner and express your feelings regarding these fees.
Commissioners will be holding their semiannual retreat Monday at the Cobb Civic Center, and Boyce told Van Brackle to attend.
