Plan could ease burden for retirees

The County Commission will discuss Tuesday whether to write a letter supporting a proposal to open a local Social Security office.

By BRIDGET HALL GRUMET

© St. Petersburg Times, published August 6, 2000

INVERNESS -- Citrus County's population is growing -- and aging. With senior citizens flocking to the area and the county's baby boomers approaching retirement, officials say it may be time for the county to have its own Social Security office.

The proposal is in the early stages and still needs the approval of Social Security officials in Jacksonville, Atlanta and Baltimore. If approved, however, a local office would save Citrus residents from driving to Ocala or waiting for the representative who comes to Lecanto once a week.

"When I look at Citrus County, it's one of the fastest growing counties, and it has one of the highest concentrations of elderly people," said Adon Williams, an analyst with the Social Security office in Ocala.

In fact, 33 percent of the county's population is age 65 or older. Citrus County has a larger share of senior citizens in its population than 65 of the other 66 Florida counties, according to the University of Florida Bureau of Economic and Business Research.

Projections using the same data show that Citrus County's population is expected to increase 40 percent to 184,900 by 2020, outpacing Marion County's projected growth rate of 36 percent.

"Certainly I feel there is a need (for a Citrus County Social Security office) now," said Williams, who drafted the proposal for a Social Security office in Citrus. "If not now, it's certainly something we would be revisiting within the next three to five years."

In December 1998, Citrus County had 45,045 residents who received Social Security benefits.

The Social Security representative who goes to Lecanto every Tuesday gets swamped with about 45 people who need help claiming benefits, changing their addresses or reporting their income, Williams said.

"The large majority (of Citrus beneficiaries) use the 1-800 number and do their business by phone," he said.

Williams said he did not know how long it would take for his superiors to decide whether to open a Citrus branch office.

The County Commission will discuss Tuesday whether to write a letter supporting Williams' proposal.

County Administrator Gary Kuhl said the proposed Social Security office and the Department of Veterans Affairs clinic that opened in Inverness last month signal an awareness among federal officials that Citrus County has a growing, aging population that needs to be served.

"I think it would be a nice asset to have here just because of the sheer number of people we have in that category," Kuhl said.

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