The Wilton Board of Selectpersons discusses the increases to the General Assistance Program with the public on Tuesday, Sept. 19. Brian Ponce/Franklin Journal
WILTON — The Wilton Board of Selectpersons held a public hearing on Tuesday, Sept. 19, to discuss increases to the amount of money received through the General Assistance program for food and housing. The hearing led to a discussion of unfunded mandates and potential increases to taxes in the town of Wilton.
The Select Board voted unanimously to adopt the increases to overall maximums, food maximums and housing maximums in the General Assistance program, which is a state program that helps individuals and families meet their basic needs. This may include help paying for things such as household or personal supplies, food, housing, fuel, utilities, medical, dental, prescriptions, medical supplies/equipment, and burial costs.
The program is state mandated, with individual towns that participate receiving a 70% refund on what is invested into the program. Wilton allocated $9,000 to the general assistance fund, but has already spent $15,000 so far this year.
“The state has not helped us out significantly,” Town Manager Perry Ellsworth stated at the public hearing. “In the last month and a half, we spent about $15,000 on housing for two families in a motel that the state had paid for last two or three years.”
“We’re obligated to do that, whether we like it or not,” he added.
A section of the General Assistance maximums reference sheet, handed out at the Wilton Board of Selectpersons meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 19. Two bedroom homes saw the sharpest increase from last year with the monthly cost increasing 13% from last year. Brian Ponce/Franklin Journal
Overall maximums for a household with one resident only saw a 7% increase [$728 to $781], whereas households with five residents will see a 25% increase in assistance [$1,352 to $1,695]. Food maximums saw moderate increases, with a 3.5% increase per month across the board. Housing assistance is seeing a 13% percent increase for a two bedroom household, which was the sharpest increase of the five options.
The amounts that fund heating fuel, personal care and household supplies, electric and supplements for households with children under the age of five have remained unchanged.
Wilton resident Nick Santora asked if there is any way to control homeless entering Wilton, wherein they would be able to receive general assistance after a period of 24 hours according to Ellsworth. The root of Santora’s worry stemmed from potential tax increases.
“I have no issue with supporting people,” Santora stated, “but when homeless walk into the city, into our town, and immediately after one day, I’m paying for them to live here? Is there any way we can control that?”
Ellsworth stated that he, along with the Maine Municipality Association, attempted to push legislation that would change the status from one day to three months. However, the legislation did not get passed and it remains at one day.
Selectperson Mike Wells asked if there ever was a residency requirement in the general assistance fund.
“If you come to the town of Wilton,” Ellsworth said, “if you came to me or to [Cindy Dunham, office assistant at the Wilton Town Office], and were asking for general assistance, we would ask for an address. You would have to show us receipts for what you are asking for. If you’re homeless, you don’t have to show us anything.”
“And there’s no validation, there’s no investigation, you just take them at their word?” Wells asked, to which Ellsworth said yes. Wells asked if the town could track how much is spent in the general assistance and present it to state legislature.
“Can we track that data to show the state legislators how much it costs a small town and how it’s affecting the taxpayers of a town based on their legislation?” Wells asked. “What’s the additional expense to the taxpayers of Wilton based on this legislative decision to allow a person to stay in the town for one day or one hour and receive benefits?”
Ellsworth and Chairperson Tiffany Maiuri stated they already do and could compile the information into a spreadsheet to track the increase from last year to this year.
Of the $15,000 spent on general assistance, Wilton will be refunded $10,500 by the state.
Ellsworth warned it will only get worse from here, however. “We’re not even into the winter heating season yet,” he stated.
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