CASPER, Wyo. — Candidates for trustee on the board of the newly established Natrona County Senior Citizen District discussed their qualifications and plans for the district at a forum hosted by the Natrona County Library and League of Women voters on Monday, Oct. 7.

In the Aug. 20 primary, Natrona County voters narrowly approved the creation of a special district tax to give financial stability to organizations serving older area residents like the Casper Senior Center and Meals on Wheels, which delivers 750 meals a day. Those organizations and others will apply for the funds generated by the one-mil tax levy similar to seeking grants. The tax is expected to generate roughly $1.7 million per year.

The five trustees elected in the Nov. 5 general election will be in charge of administering proceeds. Voters will get a chance to renew the district again in two years, and then again every four years. All the candidates except Ron Strang were in attendance.

There were few points of contention. The candidates’ remarks collectively painted a picture of the challenges faced by seniors, the ways the organizations help, and how the board would allocate funding.

“We as active members of the community have an obligation to take care of this population, and unfortunately seniors are often pushed under the bridge,” said Ruth Doyle, a retired social sciences instructor at Casper College and Senior Center volunteer for the last 10 years. She added that the number of people over 60 years of age will double by 2030.

“I believe old lives matter, and not just because I am old,” quipped candidate Steve Kurtz, who served on the Center’s board and spent a career in civil engineering. “Our senior agencies are lifelines for many seniors. They are providing nutrition, social services that help them stay physically and mentally active, and help many stay in their homes as long as possible.”

Candidates broadly agreed that a primary goal was to keep seniors healthy enough to stay in their homes, and that federal and state funding to support programs like the Senior Center and Meals on was declining.

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Left to right: Senior Citizen District trustee candidates Linda Blackstone, Ruth Doyle, Bob Hopkins, and Steve Kurtz (Greg Hirst, Oil City News)
Kurtz said from experience that nursing homes cost about $11,000 a month, and assisted living costs about $7,000 per month.

About 28% of seniors nationally are below the poverty level, and many are childless, divorced, widowed, or live alone, Doyle said, adding that Wyoming has a particular problem with young people moving away. “The mental health issue is very critical…They need support systems, compassion, individuals to visit with.”

Crystal Morse, a social worker and president of the Alzheimer’s Affiliation of Wyoming said there was a shortage of people to tend to seniors in their homes, especially those in rural areas and without internet access. She said the governor’s task force on aging, of which she is member, is looking to recruit high school students into the effort.

Candidates were asked about what the district’s first steps should be and how they would gauge the effectiveness of the organizations that receive money, which wouldn’t become available until late 2025.

Like the nine other senior citizen service districts in the state, the Natrona County District would start by writing bylaws and establishing a grant application process,  said Linda Blackstone,  the current president of the Casper Senior Center. She and Doyle said they’d be looking for organizations to provide their methodologies and needs statements, similar to the way she’s pursued grants for the Center.

“Some organizations can present a really great front but they aren’t necessarily following through with everything that they have on paper,”  said Rhonda Laird, an assistant administrator at Mountain Plaza Assisted Living.  “So I definitely want to hear from the people on the ground who are receiving those services.” Laird said she’d recently got her masters degree in gerontology: the study of aging.

“Data is crucial to any business and I have experience with that,” said Mike Stepp, owner and operator of the family business Donnell’s Candies. “And the people getting the use need to speak out.” Stepp said he was also on the Alzheimer’s Affiliation board and had been on the board of the Downtown Development Authority.

Bob Hopkins, a former Casper city councilor, said he’d be evaluating programs on a cost-per-person basis, and that the board could have some say in shaping the approaches of the programs seeking funding.

The candidates were in agreement that the new district should take advantage of the other counties’ experience.

They also agreed that the district would first focus on stabilizing and expanding existing programs and proposals, but some said it might eventually help with housing.

“Statute allows us set aside some money towards housing,” Stepp said. “So over a period time we could do that.”

Hopkins said there are several city- and county-owned properties that could become senior apartments if the board could work out some long-term lease agreements.

Blackstone said there would need to be $4 million in reserves and a public budget hearing before tackling any housing initiatives, but added that Converse County has done it.

“Housing is not an easy thing,” Kurtz said. “It needs to be a community-wide, collaborative effort with the [Casper] Housing Authority, the city, and other agencies. This board can’t do that alone… but we should be advocates.”

Oil City News LLC is a nonpartisan media organization and Central Wyoming’s largest locally owned, independent news platform. The mission of Oil City’s award-winning team of Casper-based journalists is to build a more informed and connected community by producing local stories first, fast and forever free. If you would like to read the original article, click here.

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