Vincent Buys wants to help agencies for developmentally disabled.

The Lynden legislator wants to assist agencies that focus on helping developmentally disabled adults vvin Whatcom County and beyond.

Cascade Connections in Whatcom County along with similar agencies in the state of Washington need more state money.

Buys says he is attempting to find these agencies additional funding.

“People have a passion for helping the developmentally disabled community and particularly Cascade Connections, but you have to be able to afford to do it and that’s one of the things we haven’t provided a very good reimbursement for over the years” Buys says.

Citing the increase in minimum wage, Buys says “that it makes it even more and more difficult for these service providers to be able to pay the actual people that provide the day to day hands on services”.

The agency reports minimum wage has risen by more than 36 percent over the past 9 years, while funding has only increased by little more than 5 percent.