Politics & Government

Your Take: Should The Senior Center Be Defunded For The 2014 Fiscal Year?

Among the cuts in Mayor Daryl Finizio's 2014 budget proposal under consideration in the City Council is the complete defunding of the Senior Center. This calls for shutting down the building to reduce maintenance costs and funding programs through grants and private donations.

According to the city website, the Senior Center offers a place for seniors citizens to meet for programs and activities. TVCCA provides a lunch during the weekdays, and the center also provides transportation to shopping centers and other destinations. The site declares, "We strive to fulfill the wide-ranging needs of the young, old and healthy to the very old and at risk, addressing the needs of this group through general and specialized programs."

At a Finance Committee meeting last week, city councilors mulled whether it would be possible to preserve these services in another location. Recreation Director Tommie Major protested the proposal to close the center, describing it as an "institution," and other residents have argued that the center is the only place for some seniors to interact with others.

Should the Senior Center be defunded? Do you think its services can be preserved elsewhere or taken up by other organizations? Let us know in the comments.


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