The Second Annual St. Mary’s County Senior Forum featured a wide-ranging discussion between the five county commissioners and persons in attendance at the event Friday at the Southern Maryland Higher Education Center. The forum was sponsored by the St. Mary’s County Commission on Aging and the Department of Aging and Human Services. Topics dealt with issues facing a county with a growing senior population but also veered to other more general topics such as the environment and taxes.
An issue raised several times was the inadequacy of the Garvey Senior Center on the grounds of the St. Mary’s County Government Center in Leonardtown. Commissioner President Francis “Jack” Russell (D) said a project to either renovate or replace the building was in the county’s capital budget for Fiscal Year 2018. Commission on Aging member Cindy Williams thanked the commissioners for putting the Garvey center in the capital program. “It is in desperate need of repairs.”
But Commissioner Lawrence Jarboe (R: 3rd), who is in his final term, said the fiscal realities were that there would be no new senior centers anytime soon. Jarboe touted developing the land behind the Northern Senior Center for “cottages” for senior citizens. That idea drew some positive response from the audience. Jarboe said the site was ideal because it was next to a hiker-biker path and within walking distance of shopping.
Commissioner Dan Morris (R: 2nd) pitched to the audience his idea of lowering the age to take advantage of senior property tax credit from 70 to 65 years of age. That idea was rejected by the majority of the commissioners during the last budget go around. Morris said he would bring it up again.
Russell noted, however, that the rest of the commissioners embraced Morris’ idea for a health care scholarship for the College of Southern Maryland for an area that is recognized as being medically underserved. That comment brought applause from the audience.
Russell said the commissioners have to balance all needs, including the school system and those of the older population. “With a good school system we are providing good security for our older folks,” he said. Russell called the local schools “the best school system in the United States.”
Mary Ruth Horton of United Seniors of Maryland criticized the state-mandated environmental initiatives. “It is not fair to expect the rural counties to clean up the Bay,” she said. Commissioner Cynthia Jones (R: 1st) agreed. She urged citizens to let the legislature know their feelings. Jones questioned the scientific benefit of some of the initiatives.
Jones observed that only two of the commissioners agreed to join the group that is challenging the septic b
