Meg Brugeman, director of Warwick Senior Services since last March, sees a lot of parallels between the services offered in Warwick and Cranston.

The two municipalities provide seniors transportation, serve approximately the same number of seniors and offer programs that range from health care to instruction in computer use. With so much in common, Mayors Allan Fung and Scott Avedisian believe there are opportunities for collaboration, if not consolidation that could also mean the saving of taxpayers’ dollars.

Last week the two mayors announced plans to look at consolidation, specifically naming senior services, animal control, libraries, fire dispatch and information technology. Avedisian projected the effort could save between $100,000 and $500,000 for each community in next year’s budget.

Details on what would be consolidated were sketchy, but in the case of senior services the two mayors said there was an opportunity since the Cranston director’s position is vacant with the departure of Terry Murphy. Murphy was paid $51,732, so presumably increasing Brugeman’s responsibility could generate savings for both communities.

That much seems like a given if the two cities move ahead with a consolidated department of senior services.

Beyond that, however, Brugeman doesn’t know what to expect.

“We don’t have a lot of details ironed out,” Brugeman said Tuesday from her office in the Pilgrim Senior Center. Nonetheless, Brugeman is quick to allay fears that consolidation could mean a loss of services. Instead, the approach is to build upon assets while reducing costs and working collaboratively.

“We want to look at the strengths of both and capitalize on them,” Brugeman said.

An area she targets is transportation. Warwick has budgeted $296,651 for its system of six vans and a staff of eight. The service brings seniors to the center and takes them on shopping drives, but does not provide transportation to and from doctors’ appointments. Cranston Transvan is larger with six drivers plus a dispatch coordinator and administrative aide. Personnel costs of the Cranston system alone are budgeted at $336,620.

“Transportation is one of those services we would be looking at marrying at some time,” said Brugeman.

Avedisian said Tuesday transportation offers great potential especially if the two services could be integrated to eliminate redundancies.

In addition to what it spends on transportation, Warwick budgets an additional $511,791 on senior services for a total of $808,442. Cranston budgets about $1.5 million for senior services that includes adult day care and the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), which are not part of the Warwick program.

With an aging population Brugeman sees the demand for senior services growing. She says there is a socialization benefit of the programs that gets elderly people out, meeting people and doing things rather than being at home often alone and lonely. That’s part of the role of the services.

With health care reforms, she believes senior services will play an increasing role in assisting people with information on Medicare programs and other forms of health insurance. In a similar vein she sees the need for legal and financial services including information on tax exemptions and such vehicles as reverse mortgages.

“It’s very confusing and complicated,” Brugeman said of health insurance.

Of all the areas of potential consolidation, Cranston Director of Administration Robin Muksian-Schutt identifies senior services as the most likely to be worked on first because of the vacancy in Cranston. She said Nancie Paola, assistant director, who is principally involved in running programs and the adult day care, and Ray Sinapi, who handles food services and facilities, would work with Brugeman in identifying how to consolidate administration between the two departments.

“We’re in the very early stages,” Muksian-Schutt said when asked how the arrangement might work. She said Mayor Fung, however, is committed to realizing savings where possible.

“This is a nice job for a mayor to fill,” she said of the directorship, “but Mayor Fung is not going down that road.”

As for the City Council’s review of the arrangement, Muksian-Schutt said the council must approve directors. Since this would not be the appointment of a director but rather the payment of a stipend for Brugeman’s increased role, council approval may not be required.

However, she said, “we’re not looking to do this without council approval.”

Brugeman’s salary is $59,663.

Brugeman said there are 5,000 members of the senior center of which 3,000 are active. Exclusive of transportation, Warwick Senior Services has a staff of 11. But, says Brugeman, volunteers keep the place running. She estimated about 200 volunteer their services at the center, of which 25 to 30 are a core group that faithfully man the reception area, coffee and gift shop or assist with various programs.

About 5,000 are involved in Cranston’s recreation/fitness activities programs in the course of a year. In addition, Muksian-Schutt said the department handles about 1,500 information and referrals, 225 Transvan riders and serves 180 meals daily at the center. About 35 are participants in adult day care.

Unlike Cranston, Warwick does not operate an adult day program nor does it house a RSVP program. Cornerstone Adult Services handles day car for the elderly and Westbay Community Action houses RSVP, Brugeman said.

“I have great faith in the judgment of the two mayors and I’m on board with it,” Brugeman said of consolidation efforts.

Muksian-Schutt said she expects to meet soon with Avedisian’s staff director Barbara Caniglia to define how the administrative consolidation would occur.