The Oconto County Board has approved what county officials say is the last obligation to the Commission on Aging, which lost its longtime contract to serve the county’s elderly population as of the first of the year.
Supervisors voted 25-2 on Jan. 23 to pay for the commission’s 2024 audit. The board voted Oct. 31 to have the county Health and Human Services Department take over services to elderly and disabled people after deciding to sever a 40-year relationship with the Oconto County Commission on Aging over ongoing financial issues.
The department contracted with the Menominee Tribe to run transportation services, Marinette Elderly Services to handle meal programs and Aging and Disability Resources of the Wolf River Region to provide an elderly benefits specialist.
Finance director Lisa Sherman told the board that it’s in the county’s interest to pay for that aspect of the annual county audit that pertains to the aging unit services.
“Even though Commission on Aging is no longer running those programs, an audit still needs to be completed, because as we’ve said before, their audit is included in the county audit, and to avoid any loss of state funds, we need to have that audit completed as well,” Sherman said. “They are still working through their closeout process, but there’s no funds to pay for a 2024 audit.”
The auditing firm, CliftonLarsonAllen LLP, wants the $20,000 payment for the 2024 audit up front, Sherman said.
“Because of the delay in payment from 2023, in order for them to do the 2024 audit, they’re going to want payment in advance,” she said.
The resolution passed by the board uses $6,000 left over from $15,000 set aside in April 2024 to help the Commission on Aging resolve issues with the Internal Revenue Service, along with $14,000 from the county’s regular contingency fund.
In answer to questions from several supervisors, Sherman said a 2025 audit will not be required because the commission will not receive state funding and is no longer providing county services.
“This is technically their responsibility, but it’s to the county’s advantage to have this audit completed,” she said.
Corporation counsel Beth Ellingson added that failure to conduct a full 2024 audit could also affect the county’s bond rating.
Supervisor Char Meier, one of three board members on the Commission on Aging board, said the commission’s balance owed to the IRS is down to about $30,000. At one point, the organization owed six fiscal quarters worth of tax payments.
“They’re still hoping to pay everyone off so the commission doesn’t have to declare bankruptcy,” Meier said, adding that hiring a bankruptcy attorney could cost as much as $20,000 in itself.
HHS director Scott Shackelford provided an update on the newly contracted services. The new transit program acquired what Shackelford described as the Commission on Aging bus that was in the best condition, and he got positive feedback about new bus service from a woman at the Oconto Falls meal site who had used it for a medical appointment.
The county is providing 175 meals on wheels three times a week in the southern part of the county through an agreement with the Main Course restaurant in Oconto Falls. Another 70 meals are being prepared for the northern part of the county at the Marinette Elderly Services commercial kitchen in Crivitz for distribution through the Mountain meal site.
“I think things are going pretty well,” Shackelford said. “We’re going to do quarterly reports out to our HHS board. They requested that just to make sure we’re keeping the foot on the pedal and making sure we’re being responsive to the finances.”
wbluhm@newmedia-wi.com
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