Maine veterans’ homes targeted for closure; Mills, congressional delegation object
(The Center Square) — Gov. Janet Mills and members of the state’s congressional delegation are rallying to prevent the closure of two Maine veterans homes, warning that the move would cost jobs and displace elderly residents.
In a letter to the Maine Veterans’ Homes Board of Trustees, Sens. Susan Collins, Angus King and other members of the delegation call on the governing board to “consider all potential options” to prevent the planned closure of the two facilities in Machias and Caribou this spring.
“The closure of these homes will have a devastating impact on the 82 veterans and spouses of veterans who reside in these facilities,” the lawmakers wrote. “Their families, the 123 staff members who currently provide care to these veterans, as well as the surrounding communities and local hospitals will also be adversely affected by these unexpected closures.”
The lawmakers pointed out that the board’s latest tax returns show a $25 million gross operating profit in 2019, “which calls into question the urgent need to shutter these homes and warrants a fuller explanation of MVH’s current financial position.”
Mills issued a statement on Friday saying she is “deeply concerned” about the proposed closures of the facilities, which she said would displace residents and cost jobs.
“The closures will also significantly reduce the footprint of Veterans’ Homes in Maine, leaving no facilities Downeast or north of Bangor and diminishing long-term care options for veterans in rural Maine,” she said. “The impact of these closures on our veterans, their families, the employees, and the regions as a whole cannot be underestimated.”
Earlier this month, Mills wrote to the Board of Trustees and urged the governing board to reconsider its plans to close the two facilities, or at least postpone the move for two years.
“While I recognize the challenges these homes are confronting, I fundamentally believe that there must be another path forward so that our veterans may continue to receive the care they have earned and deserve in the communities they love,” she said.
The Maine Veterans’ Home is a nonprofit organization, created by the state Legislature in 1977, which operates independently from the federal Veterans Administration. The nonprofit operates six veterans homes, including the Machias and Caribou facilities, and receives federal and state funding in addition to private donations.
Senate President Troy Jackson, D-Allagash, has filed a bill that would provide additional state funding to keep the two vets homes open and require any future shutdowns of state-run facilities to be approved by the Legislature. He said the planned closures would be “devastating” to veterans and staff who work in the facilities.
“What’s worse is that at no time did the Board of Trustees or their CEO reach out to our office to see what we could do to help before making this consequential decision,” Jackson said in a statement. “I want to be clear — I will do everything in my power to keep this facility open and caring for the Maine veterans who live there.”
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