SKCA November 2024 Meeting

Please join us at 6 p.m. Monday, November 11, in the community room in the front building of the South Patrol Police Campus, 9701 Marion Park Dr., to learn more details about the new Jackson County program to provide funding for services such as home-delivered meals designed to allow seniors 60 years of age and over to age in place safely rather than sometimes essentially being forced to move into assisted living or nursing homes for their own safety.

The next steps to implement the new program that was authorized by Jackson County voters with their approval by a large margin on November 5 of a small property tax increase will be explained by Jackson County Legislator Donna Peyton, a sponsor of the legislation to put the measure on the ballot, and Janet Baker, executive director of KC Shepherd’s Center, who was a leader in the campaign to pass the tax.

Besides home-delivered meals, the new program is widely expected to cover other services to allow seniors to stay safely in their homes such as home health care, home safety improvements like handrails for steps or ramps to replace steps and transportation to medical appointments and other essential services.

While the small property tax increase of 5 cents per $100 of assessed valuation is estimated to cost the average homeowner in Jackson County less than $20 a year, it is expected to generate $7 to $9 million annually countywide.

With voter approval of this measure, Jackson County now joins 55 other Missouri counties including Clay and Platte Counties in the Northland in providing dedicated funding for senior services.

Chief Medical Officer and Deputy Chief Laura Ragusa of the KCMO Fire Department will explain the Department’s inexpensive membership program which covers any out-of-pocket costs for medically necessary ambulance service and distribute membership applications.

Also speaking will be Police Captain Jeffrey Littlejohn of the South Patrol Division who will alert attendees about recent South Patrol and citywide crime trends and statistics they should be aware of.

This meeting is the annual meeting of SKCA when voting members will elect and reelect members of the SKCA Board.  Those nominated for reelection by the Nominating Committee are:  Rodney Bland, Wakisha Briggs, Jeremy LaFaver, Yaw Obeng, Denetra Pouncil, John Sharp and Sherwood Smith.  Karissa Varga is nominated for election.