‘Real slap in the face’: Tacoma seniors bemoan city’s goal to transition senior services
The Lighthouse senior center in Tacoma means a lot to Lori Ramsdell-Gilkey. The 65-year-old frequents the center to exercise, journal and socialize with friends. She would miss that sense of community if the Lighthouse’s services were extinguished.
Unfortunately for Ramsdell-Gilkey, that might soon be the case.
Tacoma appears poised to end senior services at its two senior centers, the Lighthouse and Beacon, and transition that programming to community facilities run by Metro Parks.
This potential shift comes as the city seeks to mend a $24 million budget shortfall, although the city has said that improving senior citizens’ lives — not cost savings — is its primary goal.
During the Oct. 29 public hearing on the proposed 2025-26 biennial budget, Ramsdell-Gilkey urged City Council to keep services at the Lighthouse, 5016 A St.
“So, I’m asking you,” she said, facing city leaders, “that you please don’t balance the budget on the backs of your senior citizens.”
Others similarly petitioned the council on Oct. 29 to retain senior services at the Lighthouse and Beacon, which are expected to sunset at the end of the year. Some Tacoma seniors feel abandoned by the shift, but the city offered reassurances that the change is supposed to be both beneficial and pragmatic.
“This is a very positive thing,” city spokesperson Maria Lee told The News Tribune. “It will result in our seniors gaining expanded access to a wider range of programs and activities, and ensuring that they remain active, engaged and connected.”
‘Slap in the face’
On Oct. 17, Tacoma’s Neighborhood and Community Services sent a letter to seniors at the Beacon and Lighthouse. It explained that the city is in talks with Metro Parks to combine programming and services at four facilities: People’s Community Center on Hilltop, Eastside Community Center, STAR Center in South Tacoma and Northeast Tacoma’s The Center at Norpoint.
The move would lower the minimum clientele age from 60 to 50 — thereby broadening the services’ reach, Lee said.
The Oct. 17 letter also noted that the proposed changes would “offer more community members more services and program variety at more locations.”
Speaking with The News Tribune last month, Ramsdell-Gilkey expressed frustration with what she sees as a lack of proper notice. The City Council is scheduled to adopt the biennial budget before the end of the year, leaving little time for local seniors to rally and object, she said.
“It just feels like a real slap in the face to the senior citizens,” she later added.
The Beacon Center, 415 S. 13th St., has been operating a permanent shelter since 2022 that serves young-adult residents experiencing homelessness seven days a week and provides shelter overnight. Looking ahead, Beacon will expand its services to offer a wider range of support for youth in need, Lee said.
Ramsdell-Gilkey is glad that the city is helping the unhoused. Yet in her view, that shouldn’t come at the expense of seniors, some of whom have been paying taxes for 60 years.
Kathryn Sposato told The News Tribune that her 93-year-old mother enjoys going to Beacon, where she takes yoga and gets together with friends. Her mom was upset upon learning that Beacon likely won’t have senior services soon, she said.
Several years ago, the city received a grant for renovations at Beacon so that it could be used as a multi-generational facility, serving both seniors and at-risk youth. To Sposato, shutting off services to the elderly there seems like a misuse of that funding.
Lee noted that the city must operate in alignment with state and federal law. She said the grant funding was always meant to improve Beacon’s facility as a whole, with a focus on responding to a sharp spike in young-adult homelessness.
Documentation for the $980,000 state-capital grant supports that intention, she added.
Lee acknowledged concerns about a perceived shift in focus away from seniors. However, she said, “this is not a zero-sum game.” Both seniors and youth can be served by this partnership between the city and Metro Parks.
The city’s main goal is to improve Tacoma senior citizens’ lives, Lee said via email. Another factor, although not the main focus, is that the move could help cut costs, she added.
The services’ baseline budget for 2025-26 was $1,768,868, Lee said. The change to Metro Parks’ centers would shave $478,147 from biennial costs — translating to a proposed budget of $1,290,721.
Metro Parks’ involvement
The city approached Metro Parks with the idea to transition senior services, said Megan Snow, Metro Parks’ marketing communications and corporate relations manager. Although it wasn’t a Metro Parks decision, the organization is holding discussions with the city about taking on more programming to offset the end of services at Lighthouse and Beacon.
The four existing community centers offer senior programming, Snow said. Metro Parks doesn’t have control over the choice to close or retain city programs.
“We want [seniors] to be involved in our community centers and in our programming, and we’re here to serve them year round — right now,” she said. “So, if they want to come in, they’re more than welcome, and we want them to feel supported and cared for and know that they have a place with us, regardless of what decisions are made or what happens.”
Sposato said she understands the argument that Metro Parks’ centers can help welcome the city’s seniors.
Still, to her it’s not the same.
“It’s a real, clear statement to me that the seniors — we don’t value them enough to give them their own small space where they can feel welcomed and not be competing with younger people, or feel self conscious about being slow or needing help getting in the doors or whatever it is,” she said. “So, yeah. It’s kind of sad.”
Timeline for proposed transition
Metro Parks staff visited seniors at the Beacon and Lighthouse earlier this month and will return in December on these dates, from 10 a.m. to noon:
Beacon:
Monday, Dec. 9
Wednesday, Dec. 11
Lighthouse
Thursday, Dec. 12
Friday, Dec. 13
Another public hearing will be held on the city’s proposed biennial budget on Nov. 19, Lee noted. If City Council approves the budget on Dec. 3 — and Metro Parks’ board approves its budget Dec. 9 — then the transition of senior services is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
Asked what would happen if one or both budgets are rejected, Lee replied: “We’re going to have to re-evaluate our options.”
This story was originally published November 12, 2024 at 12:00 PM.
