Tug of war over elderly

PROVO — After weeks of debate, Utah County commissioners approved a petition Tuesday that could result in changes to programs that deliver services to the elderly in Utah County.

The petition to transfer "aging services" from the Mountainland Association of Governments, which provides the services now, to Utah County government will go to the director of the state Division of Aging and Adult Services for deliberation.

As discussion about the petition began Tuesday, Commissioner Larry Ellertson asked the other commissioners to take more time to build support before sending the petition to the state.

"We do have some information that indicates that we are not of one mind on this in terms of the community," he said. "I believe we need to develop the trust and cooperation of all who are involved in the process of serving seniors, including seniors themselves."

Commission Chairman Jerry Grover said he doubted that more time would alter either party's perspective, due to the nature of the process.

"To get consensus is probably not a possibility when you're looking at two entities competing for a similar program," he said. "I fully expect MAG is going to make a case for the things they think are their strengths, or the county's weaknesses, and that's just part of the process of going to the state."

A task force appointed by MAG last month to study the delivery of aging services sent a letter to the commission on Monday backing MAG as the preferred service provider and stating that the creation of another area agency on aging would "decimate" senior services.

Commissioner Steve White called that statement "a bald-faced lie" but conceded that MAG had not seen a copy of the final petition, which includes some funding provisions for Wasatch and Summit counties during a possible transition period.

"We say clearly that (Summit and Wasatch counties) will not be harmed," White said.

Grover said he preferred not to start a back-and-forth argument because state officials will make a decision based on what's best for seniors.

"The reality is, whatever we say, whatever MAG says, the state is the one that will evaluate the strength and the merits of a particular program," he said. "I'm confident that once they look, with an open mind, at what the county's proposal is, a lot of the issues raised by MAG probably won't be there."