Former councillor Roberta Horne is urging beneficiaries of the shire’s home and community care program to take the action at next Tuesday’s council meeting.

“We will shine them on our faces and say ‘here we are, please don’t keep us in the dark’,” she said.

Ms Horne and past council election candidate Tenniell Evans believe the shire has bungled the transfer of HACC services to a federal government-backed provider.

They say care recipients have been isolated.

“There a lot of vulnerable people that are being left behind, that are being cut off,” Mrs Evans said.

“They need to start being truthful and transparent, so the whole community can work with them.

“I’m not trying to reverse the decision, but we’ve got a whole lot of vulnerable people who are sitting ducks.”

Mrs Evans said staff had been left uncertain after a Department of Veterans’ Affairs contract administered by the council was taken over by welfare provider Kirinari.

Shire director development and community services Mark Florence said some staff undertook DVA duties as well as core HACC services.

He said the council was awaiting the federal government’s decision on its preferred provider for HACC services from July 1.

“We would expect by mid to late March we would have something we could announce and that would allow us a decent transition process across April, May and June,” Mr Florence said.

He noted that when Wodonga Council’s HACC services were taken over by Westmont there was only two weeks’ notice, but 80 per cent of staff had continued with the new provider.

Indigo mayor Jenny O’Connor said false information was being spread about the future of the service and it was creating “angst” among “vulnerable people”.

The shire’s HACC program caters to 500 people, providing services such as cleaning, meals and personal care to a largely elderly clientele.

About 40 staff provide the services.

Council chief executive Trevor Ierino said staff could receive full redundancy entitlements before joining the new provider.