BSST talks budget at annual hearing

By Lauren Royce, Editor
NEW MILFORD — On Feb. 12, the BSST Area Agency on Aging held one of its multiple annual public hearings at the Blue Ridge Active Living Center (BRALC) in New Milford. Many regulars at the center were in attendance as well as board members and directors of the BSST.
The hearing covered what the BSST’s budget across all its centers in Bradford, Sullivan, Susquehanna and Tioga counties would be for the 2026 fiscal year. This year, finds sit at $5,870,785, less than last year’s according to chief financial officer Mary Sarno.
“The numbers that we do have in there are what we’re anticipating to receive, less the federal funding,” said Mary Sarno, chief financial officer of BSST.
Exact numbers for 2024-2025 were not yet available at the time of press. The 2023-2024 annual report on the BSST website said $5,321,618 was spent across all services provided including roughly $2.9 million spent on assessment/care management and in-home services.
“There’s a federal funding piece that’s still supposed to be coming to all the AAAs across the county, which— it’s Meals on Wheels, it’s the PA Medi, Health and Wellness, PA Link is another part of it, and our caregiver support. This is mostly state funding, over one majority of state funding, without that federal piece that still should be just trickling in. They’re still not calling for anything significant, but hey, even $100,000 helps out.”
The state budget recently passed by Governor Josh Shapiro awarded $10 million to the 52 Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) across Pennsylvania, meaning each one would get a little over $192,000, which Warner said is easily spent. Sarno said everyone got a little over $100,000. And, new this year, 7% of the budget for the overall state was taken off by the federal government before the increase was broken down for individual AAAs.
Executive director Tiffany Warner assured those in attendance that services would continue and that her team has worked hard to make sure no one goes without what they need whether it’s in-home care or food delivery services. Sarno said use of home delivered meal services had grown by 35% in 2025, meaning more people have been kept from going hungry.
Another thing Warner highlighted was the fact there is currently no waitlist for those wanting to contact BSST and get services.
“As long as they want it, as long as the assessment says they can, and their income qualifies them,” Warner said, services would be available to those in need. “All of that stuff is Department of Aging mandated. That’s not BSST saying, ‘well, if you don’t meet this assessment requirement.’ It’s across the commonwealth. The 52 AAAs have the same assessment, the same income guidelines.” It can take up to two weeks for an assessment to finalize, but there are times more often than not when case workers accelerate and make things happen within days for cases that need immediate attention, Warner said.
“We are doing the best we can with the money,” Warner said, in a time when costs of rent and water are going up not just for individuals but everywhere as nursing homes and in-home care providers are stretched thin. Warner works with a voluntary staff of 42 people.
One question came up about a million dollars in funding being turned back to the state, and Warner said it was true that secretary Jason Kavulich had asked AAAs to be fiscally responsible. If money is not spent in a fiscal year, it does not roll over into the next year for a facility and instead goes back to the general budget.
“The secretary told (the AAA) directors at the beginning of fiscal year 2024-2025 that funding was going to be cut, and the AAAs better buckle up and be financially responsible,” Warner said. Despite this, services have not wavered.
“Meals on Wheels are being delivered every week,” said Doug Sivers, who is on the board of directors for the BSST. “The people get a box of frozen foods to provide one meal for them every day of the week. The drivers who are hired to do that are knocking on the door, ‘I’m here with Meals on Wheels, how are you doing?’ They have a face-to-face conversation, and if they cannot get that face-to-face, they call back to the agency, and our agency sends the caseworker out to make sure everything is okay. That’s what we were doing as volunteers, and now our paid drivers do that.”
Services from AAA are voluntary. As of December 2025, there were 457 consumers on Meals on Wheels across the four counties. Warner said there are about 85 people in Susquehanna County receiving Meals On Wheels, with two paid drivers serving Susquehanna County specifically.
Meals are delivered to BSST centers from Montoursville through Frey’s Commissary. The driver comes to BRALC in New Milford on Mondays and Wednesdays, and also delivers to homes individually, according to volunteer Joan Flint.
Commissioner Bob McNamara was also present as he is on the board of directors, with Doug Sivers and Athena LeGates.
Warner and Sarno said the BSST is waiting on thousands of dollars in federal money to come through, but right now it’s been a strange limbo period to live through with no sign of relief in sight. Of the overall budget, 21% is federal funding, which right now has not come in. This year, federal funding makes up about 11%, Sarno said.
“They’re waiting on federal money,” Flint said, echoing Warner and Sarno’s statements. “Sometimes, their hands are tied.”
To get set up with the BSST Area Agency on Aging, call 1-800-634-3746 for the Montrose office.