Financial officer from Guernsey County Board of Developmental Disabilities explains budgeting goals

Pictured: Joe Waske, Byesville Rotary President; Stephanie Neuhart, financial officer for the Guernsey County Board of Developmental Disabilities; and Tanya Hitchens, Speaker Host.

Readings for next meeting: March Rotarian, "Pure Banerjee," p. 39 and "Breaking new ground," p. 42.

Club business:

• Four Way speech Contest will be held during next week's meeting.
• The Breakfast with the Bunny committee asks Rotary members to bring a bag of individual wrapped candy to be used to stuff plastics eggs for the kids coming to the Bunny Breakfast.

Stephanie Neuhart from the Guernsey County Board of Developmental Disabilities (GCDD) spoke to the Byesville Rotary about the GCDD’s efforts to do more with less. Ms. Neuhart stated that the GCDD has been developing and applying good money management skills in recent years. These skills will enable them to meet the challenges posed by state and federal budget cutting for the present budget cycle.

The GCDD budget is based on local, state and federal monies. Local financing is currently based on 2 levies: a 4 mil levy passed in 1990 and a 2 mil levy passed in 1999. The levies provide 55% of the Board’s income.

The goal of the GCDD has been to maintain services within their current budget by operating more efficiently and identifying ways to reduce costs. They have done well. Other county Boards of Developmental Disabilities are looking at the GCDD operation to identify best practices that they could apply.

One method GCDD is using to reduce costs is through staff attrition. Personnel are not being replaced as staff members resign or retire. Several years ago, GCDD employed 58 people full time with an additional 15-20 part time workers. In 2010, the number of staff was down to 53.

A second method GCDD uses to maintain services is to identify alternate sources of funding. When funding from real estate taxes dried up, GCDD began refinancing services with federal money and Medicaid dollars.

GCDD staff has also identified previously unused resources which can be used to provide funding for programs such as the new Bridges and Transition program. The goal of this program is to prepare clients to be integrated into the community. The program is designed to teach life and work skills to clients ages 14-22. Clients leaving the program will be prepared to be employed in the community.

One of the results of the Board's efforts to be efficient is that, unlike other county Boards, GCDD does not have a waiting list of clients needing services. Everyone requesting assistance has been provided with the services they need.

For more information about the Guernsey County Board of Developmental Disabilities and services they provide, contact 439-4451.

The club’s next meeting will be 7:30 am, March 29, 2011, at the Stop Nine Senior Center at 60313 (GPS use 60299) Southgate Road, Byesville. Anyone interested in learning more about the Byesville Rotary can call Membership Chairs Marty Patchen, 740-685-3828, or Larry Miller, 740-439-2767.