Skagit County has four senior centers in Sedro-Woolley, Anacortes, Burlington, and Sedro-Woolley which provide programming and meals to seniors. Community Action operates a community center in Concrete, which also offers meals and services to community members of all ages. You can learn more about current senior service offerings on the Public Health website HERE.
Senior services, including the operation of senior centers and associated programming, are funded separately from the senior meal program. Skagit County does not receive any federal or state funding for the operation of senior centers and associated programming. Senior center staffing and equipment is funded with County general fund dollars and support from the cities monetarily and some also through the use of city-owned facilities for senior centers. Additionally, Senior Center Advisory Boards contribute to some of the programming and supply costs for the senior centers.
In addition to the senior centers, Skagit County has been the contracted provider through Northwest Regional Council (NWRC) since the early 1980s for the senior meal program. This includes hot congregate meals within the centers and hot / frozen meals delivered to home-bound seniors (Meals on Wheels). Northwest Regional Council receives federal funding through the Older Americans Act that is awarded to Skagit County through a contract to provide senior nutrition services. The allocation from the Older Americans Act has stayed relatively stagnant for the last 40 years, which has led to an increased reliance on local funding to support the program. The rest of the senior nutrition program is funded primarily with County general fund dollars with support from fundraising events throughout the year, meal donations from clients, and contributions from the cities.
On September 30, 2025, the Skagit County Commissioners made the difficult decision to request Northwest Regional Council find a new provider for the senior nutrition program starting July 1, 2026. Skagit County was facing a very challenging budget situation for 2026 and the demand for senior services and the cost for staffing and food in our area was continuing to outpace the funding we receive from NWRC and fundraising opportunities each year. NWRC will lead the effort to solicit proposals from the community to operate the senior nutrition program contract starting July 1, 2026.
In addition to the rising costs for operating senior services and the senior nutrition program, the Mount Vernon Senior Center facility is in dire need of repair or replacement; however, the repair and replacement cost estimates have been prohibitive. Senior services and the senior nutrition program are estimated to cost the County over $1.7M from the general fund in 2026 alone, and if all current county operations and programs were maintained at 2025 levels, Skagit County was facing approximately a $19M deficit in the general fund.
As a result of the budget deficit in the general fund, the County Commissioners needed to make reductions in our expenses to pass a balanced budget. Those reductions included eliminating 51 staff positions, transitioning the senior meal program to a nonprofit provider, continuing the current hiring freeze, consolidating county resources between departments, and looking at more efficient workflows and organizational structures to ensure mandated county services continue as required. The Commissioners will need to eliminate additional staff positions and other non-essential services in 2026 to balance the 2027 budget.
Each senior center in Skagit County is operated through a partnership with the local City jurisdiction, with differing levels of operational support.
Mount Vernon Model (Population: 35,000)
The City of Mount Vernon contributes $65,000 annually to the County for the operations of the Senior Center and the Nutrition Program.
The County provides the facility, utilities, janitorial, maintenance, staffing and operations
Burlington (Population: 11,000) and Sedro-Woolley Model (Population: 13,000)
The City of Burlington contributes $15,000 annually to the County for the operations of the Senior Center and the Nutrition Program.
The City of Sedro-Woolley contributes $23,000 annually to the County for the operations of the Senior Center and the Nutrition Program.
Cities provide the facilities, janitorial, maintenance, and a cash contribution to the County.
The County provides staffing and operations of the senior center and the nutrition program.
Burlington’s Senior Center also serves as the central kitchen for congregate meals and Meals on Wheels for all cities.
Anacortes Model (Population: 18,000)
The County provides $105,000 annually to the city in lieu of providing County staff.
The City of Anacortes provides $44,600 annually to the County for the operations of the Nutrition Program.
The City of Anacortes provides the facility, janitorial, maintenance, staffing and operation of the Center.
Concrete Community Center (Population: 800)
The Town of Concrete contributes $9,229 annually to the County for the operations of the Community Center.
The County provides the facility, utilities, janitorial, and maintenance.
The County contributes $167,400 annually to Community Action of Skagit County for staffing and operations of the Community Center in Concrete, which does include preparation and service of lunch on site five (5) days per week. This is separate from the nutrition/meal program offered in the Senior centers.
The facility operates as a community center serving all ages, reflecting population size and local needs.
This model reflects geographic and demographic realities and differs from traditional senior-center-only operations. The meal program is not funded by NWRC as it does not meet age restriction eligibility.
The Commissioners are currently evaluating how we partner with city jurisdictions to fund each senior center to ensure senior center programming remains sustainable into the future. The Commissioners are not discussing or considering service reductions within the senior centers. Senior centers are fully funded in the 2026 budget for current operations.
Each city has historically provided funding to the County to support both senior center activities and senior nutrition programs. The city contributions to the County were combined rather than differentiated by service type.
The amounts reflect combined support for senior center operations and senior nutrition programs.
Anacortes
Concrete
Burlington
Mount Vernon
Sedro Woolley
$44,600
$9,229
$15,402
$65,080
$22,791
Beginning July 1, 2026, the senior nutrition program will no longer be administered by the County. In response to the upcoming change, the cities and county entered into 6-month contracts, January 1-June 30, 2026, instead of a year-long contract for 2026. As a result, the city contribution structures beyond June 30, 2026, need to be discussed and re-negotiated.
This transition presents an opportunity to revisit and clarify the County–City partnership specifically related to senior center operations, separate from nutrition services. While all cities benefit from senior center services, the current financial model does not consistently reflect operating costs or the varying levels of city support.
The County Commissioners are hosting a work session with Public Health staff on February 6, 2026, to evaluate the current funding models for each senior center, review service models in neighboring jurisdictions, and consider options for an equitable and sustainable funding model moving forward.
This work session is intended to be educational for the Commissioners, and there will be no decisions made at this time. Staff will present options for funding senior centers with the cities.
These options are preliminary, and any decision will need to be made in partnership and coordination with the city jurisdictions. After the work session, the Commissioners and Public Health staff will continue to discuss these options with the Cities.
The Skagit County Commissioners have not considered closing down the senior centers or
reducing senior programs. The Commissioners feel strongly senior centers should remain
open, and are willing to partner to continue current services.
The centers provide a sense of belonging to our seniors and offer opportunities to share
meals, participate in exercise classes, and engage in many other activities. Without the
County’s support of senior centers, it is likely these opportunities would not be offered in
our community.
Why has the Mount Vernon Senior Center not been repaired?
The Mount Vernon Senior Center is located in a 100-year-old schoolhouse that has been
serving as the senior facility since 1973. Unfortunately, the building is no longer suitable
for its purpose. It was never designed with the needs of older adults in mind, and decades
of wear have left the building with significant structural and operational deficiencies.
Even if extensive and costly renovations were pursued, the building would still fall short of
providing the space necessary to serve Mount Vernon’s growing senior population.
Program participants and staff have consistently voiced concerns that the Center has
already outgrown its capacity, and the status quo is simply not sustainable.
Why hasn’t the Mount Vernon Senior Center moved to the Library Commons?
Skagit County and the City of Mount Vernon worked extensively on what a partnership
between the MV Senior Center and the Commons would look like as the City built the new
space. The library includes a commercial kitchen and community meeting room space
which could have been a fit for the needs of local seniors.
The City was hoping for an integrated library and community center model which would
have reduced dedicated programming exclusively for seniors. Skagit County was
concerned with the proposed service model, and the impacts it may have on the growing
senior population.
Additionally, there were potential issues with Meals on Wheels driver access to the library
kitchen and the City requested a partnership of a $6M capital investment. The capital
investment would have been used to increase the footprint of the library to accommodate
the breadth of senior center programming requested by the center clientele.
Skagit County has heard from the senior center community that they wish to keep the
existing senior programming as much as possible in a new space, so ultimately it was
decided the vision of relocating to the library was not aligned with what the senior center
community needs.
Why can’t the County use other funds to continue funding the senior nutrition
program?
The only source of funding that can be used to pay for the senior nutrition program is the
general fund. Approximately 75% of the general fund is allocated to public safety,
including the courts and law enforcement. The other 25% must fund all county operations
not covered by other sources of revenue or grants.
Nearly all county services, including roads, behavioral health, veteran services, and
homelessness support, are funded with dollars that are restricted for their intended use
so they cannot be reallocated to senior services.
Can we fundraise more to keep the program at current levels?
Fundraising has been a consistent source of support for the program over the last five
decades; however, our fundraising efforts are not enough to keep up with the rising
demand for seniors meals. We believe a nonprofit is better suited to effectively fundraise.
Why is the program so expensive now?
The costs of food, supplies, and salaries increase each year. Additionally, there is a
growing number of seniors in need of meal deliveries of congregate meals. In 2024, we
served over 5,600 seniors compared to less than 4,000 seniors in 2016.
The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that by 2030, 30% of the total population in Mount
Vernon will be aged 65 and older. This aging population indicates that the demand for
senior services and meals will continue to grow.
September 25, 2025 Skagit County Commissioners Schedule Public Meeting to Discuss Senior Nutrition Contract
County Commissioners requested Public Health staff to present options for reducing the budget, including evaluation of either reducing hot congregate meals and hot meal deliveries or transitioning the senior nutrition program contract to a nonprofit.
