Officials with the Pennyrile Area Development District set their fiscal year 2023-24 budget in motion last week, when they unanimously adopted a ledger north of $25.6 million — involving more than $20 million in services, and $5 million in operations.
Madisonville Mayor and PADD Treasurer Kevin Cotton noted the year-to-year increase totaled more than $1 million — and could easily be accounted through a number of factors.
— It’s a 4% cost-of-living adjustment for PADD’s employees.
— It’s added positions to work with both the Delta Regional Authority pilot program, and the Area Agency on Aging & Independent Living.
— It’s an 11.8% increase in health insurance costs for the office.
— And it’s a 16.25% increase for the AAAIL, due to the absorption of incoming suicide prevention and vaccination grant funding.
It’s worth noting that AAAIL efforts amount to more than $17 million of PADD’s budget, which includes nutrition and supportive guidelines, the expanded senior meal program, participant-directed ventures, veterans care, senior employment opportunities and family caregiver work.
Jill Collins, director of the AAAIL, said there is “somewhat of a wait list” for services in every Pennyrile county.
As of July 3, that involved:
*25 for home delivered meals, 18 for homemaking and three for personal care in Caldwell County;
*79 for home delivered meals, 122 for homemaking and 31 for personal care in Christian County;
*18 for home delivered meals, 11 for homemaking and one for personal care in Trigg County;
*Four for home delivered meals, seven for homemaking and one for personal care in Todd County;
*Six for home delivered meals and six for homemaking in Lyon County;
*And 65 for home delivered meals, 76 for homemaking and six for personal care in Hopkins County.
And as of the 2020 Census, Collins said the Pennyrile is home to more than 51,000 citizens aged 60-and-up.
Furthermore, Collins noted the Pennyrile’s AAAIL will be celebrating 50 years as a designated agency in 2024.
Back at the June 1974 inception, the program’s budget: $72,000, meaning its operations value has increased more than 230 times in a half century.
Cotton also issued that the budget reflects a 20% drop in total revenues for training and workforce development due to a decrease in allocations, while the expiration of both CARES and some hazard mitigation grants also lowered expected revenues by 5.8%.
As of late June, Cotton added the PADD’s budget from last year was at 74.9% of expectancy going into the final month, in what he and many applauded as a fiduciary effort to cut last-minute spending.
Martha Jane King, a spokeswoman for the office of Andy Beshear, said the Governor would be in west Kentucky for a visit this upcoming Friday, planned for 3 PM at Murray State University’s Wrather Museum, in order to unveil funding for both Calloway and Trigg counties.
Furthermore, she said Beshear and Secretary of State Michael Adams, with overwhelming General Assembly support, have issued a joint statement and collaborative effort regarding domestic violence cases.
Kentucky is one of the worst in the nation for rates of domestic violence. The “Safe At Home” Act can be applied for online at sos.ky.gov/safe-at-home.
