Four Eastern Plains counties have told the state Department of Human Services they don’t want a total of $16,939 in federal stimulus dollars that would go to food programs because they can’t find time to research good ways of spending the money.
The East Central Council of Local Governments, representing Kit Carson, Cheyenne, Lincoln and Elbert counties, told state officials they didn’t have the resources to plan for, and submit, an application by mid-May.
County leaders said they were also worried about meeting the required matching 15 percent.
The county officials also said the one-time-only money means they couldn’t keep the additional services going, according to a letter from state officials to the East Central Council chief Rayetta Palmer on Monday.
The state’s Unit on Aging provided suggestions to the counties for using the funds to expand nutrition programs, including adding emergency meals for homebound residents.
State officials said they’ll reallocate the money.
