Agencies: Panel needed to monitor spending

By ED RUNYAN
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- Before money can be spent from a 0.75-mill senior citizens levy approved Tuesday, the agencies that lobbied for its passage will have to devise an organizational structure and plan for the $2,595,725 it will generate annually.
These dollars will be used by a variety of organizations such as SCOPE Inc., the Trumbull County Office of Elderly Affairs, the District XI Area Agency On Aging, Mobile Meals and the Country Neighbor meals program.
Gary Engstrom, Office of Elderly Affairs director, said the participating parties will be seeking guidance from county commissioners on how to form an 11-member citizens panel to oversee the spending.
Don Medd, Area Agency on Aging director, has contacted commissioners to begin that process, Engstrom said, adding that he hopes the panel can be put in place by year's end. He said it would be the commissioners' responsibility to appoint members of the committee.
Who should be included
The new revenue from the five-year levy would start coming in March or April, Engstrom said, so it would be wise to have the panel in place by then.
He said it has been agreed among some of the parties that the committee should include an attorney and a certified public accountant familiar with working on public contracts, and representatives who match the demographics of the county -- such as young and old and from throughout the county.
One major component of providing the services would be to establish a "Request For Proposal" procedure to follow for getting bids from private companies that would provide services, Engstrom said.
Though it is the first time Trumbull County has had a levy for senior services, the idea is not unique. Ashtabula County did something similar several years ago and got a renewal later for the levy.