When adopting a budget last month, Stanislaus County officials set aside just $46 million for a home-care program expected to cost nearly $60 million.  They might lessen the gap by slashing pay for home-care providers from $9.38 to the $8-per-hour minimum wage. But a union disagrees and a vocal contingent of providers has become increasingly testy in weekly protests before the county’s Board of Supervisors.  The issue is building toward today’s showdown, when supervisors will hear a report examining the wage dispute as well as objections to a fraud unit.

Also, the county’s contract with United Domestic Workers expired Saturday. At $9.38 per hour, the county would run out of money to pay 4,500 providers by April, officials have predicted.

About 70 percent of home-care providers are relatives of the program’s 6,200 low-income recipients. Six years ago, pay was $6.95 per hour. Periodic increases raised the wage to $8 in 2005 and the current figure a year ago.

Today’s meeting is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. in the basement chamber at Tenth Street Place, 1010 10th St., Modesto.

In other items on today’s agenda, supervisors are expected to: Read Full Article in Modesto Bee