People using Butler County senior centers continue to express concern about the prospect of the 10 sites being consolidated to as few as two.

Several seniors told the county commissioners Wednesday that the various sites need to stay open.

Kathy Kloock, who teaches crafts at the Tanglewood Center in Lyndora, blamed decreasing attendance on the centers needing to raise money.

“The seniors are tired of fundraisers,” Kloock said.

Under state guidance, the county Area Agency on Aging seeks 10 percent of the centers’ operating costs.

“It’s not what seniors should be doing,” Kloock said. “We’re having to work.”

Beth Herold, AAA administrator, said in an interview the state’s view is users should have an investment in the centers.

“We do ask them to do fundraising,” Herold said.

Connie Collier, who goes to the Chicora center, also complained about having to raise funds.

“It used to be a fun place to go,” Collier said. “It’s like a sweat shop now.”

George Brydon, who uses the Slippery Rock center, agreed there should be no fundraising

“They shouldn’t have to work,” Brydon said.

Commissioner Jim Eckstein agreed, saying seniors being concerned about losing their centers impacts him.

“It’s very moving to me,” Eckstein said. “We should not pull the rug out.”

Commissioner Bill McCarrier, board chairman, stressed no decisions about the fate of the centers has been made.

Herold agreed.

“We are in the information-gathering process,” she said.

Herold said opening a center in the Clearview Mall is only one option. Another alternative is reducing hours at some centers.

She said in the interview there are no fees for people to use the centers. However, there is a suggested $2.50 donation to offset the cost of lunches.

The cost to maintain all the centers is $720,000 annually.

Talk of a possible consolidation arose while AAA was looking at ways to address attendance issues.

Since then, the state Department of Aging urged counties to maximize services to reach more seniors.

Herold previously said a central center such as one in the mall would appeal to younger seniors, who are busy during the day.

Under a proposal from the AAA advisory board, all centers except the Cranberry Township site and a new one at the mall would close. Seniors would be bused from their respective areas to the closest center.

Eckstein said during the meeting that busing seniors from other areas to the middle part of the county is cost-prohibitive.

“This is a boondoggle,” he said. “It would cost much more to close centers than to keep them open. Buses don’t run for free.”

During public comment, Eckstein complained about the cost of paper products being passed on to the centers while holding a wrapped roll of toilet paper in the air.

“They buy their own toilet paper,” Eckstein said. “The commissioners get gift wrapped toilet paper. The seniors get nothing.”

Herold said during the interview she just found out Wednesday that Nutrition Inc., which operates the centers, charges some centers for paper products.

Along with Lyndora, Chicora, Slippery Rock and Cranberry Township, there are centers in Evans City, Mars, Mount Chestnut, West Sunbury, Winfield Township and Zelienople.