COUNTY COMMISSION RECEIVES REPORT ON SENIOR CITIZENS TAX

JACKSON -- The Cape Girardeau County senior citizens mill tax is generating a $4 return on every dollar spent on programs.

The County Commission asked for a cost analysis of how taxes are spent.

"The County Commission thought the senior citizens were getting excellent services per dollar spent, but until now we did not have a measuring device," Gerald Jones, presiding commissioner, said Thursday.

The study, conducted by Glenda Hoffmeister of the Southeast Missouri Area Agency on Aging, looked at nine projects receiving mill tax funds. She looked at the services offered by agencies and what those same services would cost in a retail setting.

In 1996, the total county investment from the mill tax was $273,021. Hoffmeister found that the estimated value of services provided to seniors was $1,074,000.

"She used very conservative figures to make the comparisons," Jones said. "And it's full of common-sense comparisons."

For example, meals served at senior centers cost an average of 78-cents per meal. A comparable meal at a local restaurant would cost at least $5.

One of the senior programs, the Apple Project, was initiated by the Senior Citizens Services Fund Board. The board reviews applications and awards funds to agencies serving seniors.

Wanda Wyatt of the Apple Project explained that the program actually puts dollars back in the pockets of senior citizens. Trained volunteers help seniors fill out and decipher paperwork, including Medicare and insurance forms. Volunteers also help seniors decide which pieces of mail are bills, which are solicitations and which might be fraudulent.

The project got $55,314 in county funds. It saved seniors $166,215.

Hoffmeister admitted the study wasn't completely scientific. Instead, it was a way to determine if tax dollars are being spent wisely.

She explained that the high return for each dollar spent shows what happens when various agencies pool their resources. The senior nutrition programs, for example, get funding from several sources including the county mill tax. Combining money allows the programs to operate more cost effectively, she said.

Dale Rauh, chairman of the Senior Citizens' Services Fund Board, said, "We felt like we've done a good job. This shows it."

The board allocates tax money, funding between 14 and 17 programs each year.

"We try to prevent duplication and make sure we get as much value for each dollar as possible," Rauh said. "We also want to serve all the needs of our seniors."

Commissioner Larry Bock said, "It is rewarding to see that we are getting our money's worth."

Commissioner Max Stovall said, "It truly shows that your taxes can be well spent and have a great return on the investment."