[{"_1":2,"_110":-5,"_111":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74,86,98],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":-5,"_68":69,"_70":-5,"_71":72,"_73":72},"mediaId",6747097,"mediaKeyId","5533290-a23ea35dc298cfff97d5d6d547d59b02","parentId",5533290,"title","HHS presents tight 2026 budget: SNAP cost-shift, MAPA/ACT child-protection changes and opioid funds focus planning","audioSeconds",868,"startMs",3457000,"endMs",4325000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5533290-a23ea35dc298cfff97d5d6d547d59b02&start=3457&end=4325","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5533290-a23ea35dc298cfff97d5d6d547d59b02/thumbnail_3457000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6747097/HHS-presents-tight-2026-budget-SNAP-cost-shift-MAPAACT-child-protection-changes-and-opioid-funds-focus-planning","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6747097-9698d3cc0ed9bf1092f0de6591f2091e/orig.mp4?Expires=1775392129&Signature=Z9I9CXAVaau09rrD-ZvBUUL36tLQtjOsABhhQ4Zf8~s8~ASxCVapo-Om4ZLi9Aq97r9duFDVkAst091mH0H79staQSyN9fUopvIUvuZT6LOGwxVgeKL0giySJKSV2snV1uj9c~h16kzIR1F-xcpHyVvLwMbVUQ5UYLFC8JltLdyhACy-AyHZZrpq6ZYRsZGqhFALqQ0MjVrchqC1Iu--8eryEMGiyelMqmxLQibJauTetcU4KPUKclxbaKS7qSdIaItYT~~x70Niwp8M3sb1tffGTazN-yl6v9N3XKQhFZGkB3-vAqs12QE9sPpAD3-DctrLYU5omHNyXTEhDEmvjQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Pine County, MN","date","2025-08-05T21:30:48.493Z","article","Health and Human Services Director Becky presented the department's 2026 budget and warned of near-term revenue pressures and new state and federal requirements that will increase administrative workloads.

Becky said the department built the 2026 budget using a 3% COLA assumption, a four-year laptop rotation and conservative revenue estimates. She identified three program areas as especially vulnerable to funding shifts: income maintenance (SNAP and Medicaid), child protection (MAPA/ACT/CWDA changes) and public health services such as mobile dental and medication management for children. \"The SNAP administrative cost shift is occurring in federal fiscal year 2027... that, changes hit the calendar year budget for Pine County,\" she said, adding that the county has budgeted an initial $25,000 quarterly loss and that the cumulative hit could become six figures in 2027 if current proposals proceed.

On child protection, Becky and Child Protection Supervisor Beth Jarvis said placement costs have declined from a 2019 peak and that local efforts (family preservation and prevention) helped drive that improvement; they warned, however, that ACT/CWDA (MAPA) reforms will add mandatory \"active efforts\" and verification requirements that will raise workload and likely require additional staff. \"We can't continue to expect more from that,\" Becky said of the child-protection supervisor role and staffing levels.

The veterans service office (VSO) presentation described an existing 1.5 FTE model (one full-time officer and a halftime assistant). Supervisors presented options to increase the assistant post to 24, 28 or 32 hours; the 30+-hour threshold triggers prorated benefits and thus a larger step in budget cost. Becky and Supervisor Barb Schmidt recommended 24 hours as a pragmatic interim step if the board cannot approve a full-time position.

On opioid settlement dollars, the department proposed spending consistent with a Pine County advisory coalition: youth opportunity (\"YOGA\") grants, prevention contracts and $35,000 for salaries linked to settlement-program administration; Becky said the county has an advisory MOU and that the coalition's recommendations guided the draft budgeted uses.

Becky also reviewed reserves and restricted funds. The HHS levy for 2026 is listed in materials at $4,099,009.93, and the department reported an HHS-designated reserve of roughly $4.0 million at the end of 2024; staff warned that prior reserve draws and projected revenue declines mean the department cannot sustain the current service mix without levy increases, service reductions or new revenue.

Why it matters: HHS is the county's largest social-services spender; changes to SNAP administration, child-protection mandates and state allocation formulas can materially increase county costs or shift workloads in ways that require early planning.

Ending: Becky urged the board to prioritize mandated child-protection capacity and to consider the VSO-hour options and opioid-settlement recommendations; staff will return with refined cost estimates and options for levy and reserve uses.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Pine County Board Meeting Budget - August 5th, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Health and Human Services Director Becky presented the 2026 HHS budget, flagging SNAP administrative cost shifts (FFY 2027), MAPA/ACT child-protection changes and a proposed use of opioid-settlement funds for youth grants and administration.","taxTitle","taxId",0,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":-5,"_68":69,"_70":-5,"_71":72,"_73":72},6747107,"County attorney says most proposed increase is for salaries; victim-services grant covers coordinator role",611,2246000,2857000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5533290-a23ea35dc298cfff97d5d6d547d59b02&start=2246&end=2857","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5533290-a23ea35dc298cfff97d5d6d547d59b02/thumbnail_2246000.jpg","/articles/6747107/County-attorney-says-most-proposed-increase-is-for-salaries-victim-services-grant-covers-coordinator-role","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6747107-4b2113ae632c85e2cc856670c10bcad9/orig.mp4?Expires=1775392129&Signature=h-H87F2R-VXEoZNUuOEwOMD80FnQySgvcSgk9rMqWRhQ-PVpogeoEB0xkcqsMh9eHRg0W6UXtxIItNcmJvskGDZkeSOf3ZXPblxLATaboDEQZl1IEKZy0TeIU9PFdo1XXYu9wP5pI~zLbvQ4jTvbFcbLNgjLwFj4WNGvEntDYAbOrXoXuK6kyMo0Y15E2ZyfS6CvC0Yo03hYB9kMn6xNXfQo9Hfu0sIE7KqCzKgyZp~sIKYizzZPFmQv~qQ23Nn0rzn8r5taV61C0l5M73HFBLfqIICiLvnmKwDgngquXriVKTAenrggrv7DpbtKOXF~OCnFVJFLtuLDGYipGWfYqw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","County Attorney Reese reviewed four related budgets for the board, saying the law library operates on court-assessed fees and that the victim-services budget is reliant on a federal grant that primarily funds the victim-services coordinator position. \"We receive $70,000 a year,\" Reese said of the federal grant and noted the grant supports notifications and victims'rights work.

Reese told the board that his office handled more than 11,600 victim contacts since 2018 under the program, and he emphasized legal obligations under Minnesota law to provide victim notifications and services. \"If we're not following that, we're gonna get in trouble with the state,\" he said, noting the importance of stable funding for the coordinator role.

On the county attorney's primary operating budget, Reese said about 96–97% of the requested increase flows to salaries and wages to keep the office competitive in a tight legal labor market. He said having experienced attorneys reduced the county's exposure to lawsuits and improved courtroom efficiency and case outcomes. Reese also pointed to a restricted fund the office uses to pay for extraordinary costs in major prosecutions (expert witnesses, testing) and cited a recent homicide where restricted funds covered testing and experts.

Why it matters: The county attorney's office provides statutorily mandated prosecutorial and civil services; salary and staffing decisions directly affect case handling, courthouse operations and county legal risk. The victim-services grant is the primary revenue source for the coordinator position, and any changes to that grant would affect service continuity.

Ending: Reese asked the board to continue supporting competitive salaries to retain experienced staff and noted restricted funds are an important contingency for high-cost prosecutions.","County Attorney Reese told the board that the law library is fee-funded and that a federal victim-services grant of about $70,000 covers most of a coordinator position.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":-5,"_68":69,"_70":-5,"_71":72,"_73":72},6747112,"Probation director flags corrections fee sunset, juvenile-center contract and indigency funds as budget pressure points",1560,36000,1596000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5533290-a23ea35dc298cfff97d5d6d547d59b02&start=36&end=1596","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5533290-a23ea35dc298cfff97d5d6d547d59b02/thumbnail_36000.jpg","/articles/6747112/Probation-director-flags-corrections-fee-sunset-juvenile-center-contract-and-indigency-funds-as-budget-pressure-points","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6747112-5e554791fb3dbcefdb76ec77e960a65a/orig.mp4?Expires=1775392129&Signature=aRkgyUC1QFzy97l1BfMeXMESOEZ~VOE77R-flbzWNi4i5j9wRggc3QgzG0qt1BSd8ZVuUlR7n9OPgYa-uCD79zW1DZNBwDwYTKCctXfm-wPsk2w4H5UpgQLnBRvEH749OJ8OJjAvJgpvkmRrcJIFe-qNpPBCMBaOblR~xNsQPs4RwN0aUWzL-n8DVLmgHK0rmyVzUTxCmGUWnK9ES~bZNguWayXJdjoZUSw~YLh0eIUNhKSdY8~goDsuSqY4DYCP-Y8BfEwV~ZZusko8mbS0C07mfv4MLViDpUB20EVP8iwGwX9Q0FC5CZzKk5Ku-nGEeeOi7xL-AZ-54sfnawIEiQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Probation Director Jerry Faucet told the Pine County Board the county's CPO reimbursement rose in the proposed budget but that other changes reduce net funding. \"Our CPO reimbursement went up from $642,000 to $683,000, the change of $41,000,\" Faucet said, adding that the Department of Corrections \"took out money off the top for interstate compact.\" Faucet said the DOC's decision to allocate interstate-compact staffing costs against county reimbursements reduced the effective gain to Pine County.

Faucet urged the board to plan for a larger revenue shift tied to the scheduled end of local corrections fees. \"Corrections fees are still going to be collected statewide till, I think, at least 2029,\" he said, adding that the legislature set that sunset and that \"as of today, I think it goes away completely\" in 2029. He recommended the county start contingency planning for the revenue gap that will follow the sunset.

On juvenile services, Faucet said his budget includes $150,000 for a single contracted juvenile bed based on a $400-per-day cap from the East Central Regional Juvenile Center. \"They did come back with $400 a day, told us that it would not go above 400,\" he said; the county's line is calculated as $400 times one bed for 365 days.

Faucet also described a small county indigency line for remote electronic alcohol monitoring (REAM), created to ensure indigent defendants can access monitoring in lieu of jail when state grant dollars fall short. \"I'm looking today to keep that number for the line item at $5,000,\" he said, noting his office's prior annual awards and concern that the DOC's grant allocations have been cut several times over the past decade.

He outlined a $244,000 restorative-practices grant (which he said includes $29,000 in restitution funds) that would pay for youth programming and reduce some probation outlays for incentives and placements for the next 18 months; he said he had already solicited RFPs from local providers.

On training and program administration, Faucet said new statewide deliverables require counties to document training and service delivery and that the county is working with regional partners and the Minnesota Corrections Association to pool resources. \"The commissioner has demanded that we all show our work in corrections across the state,\" he said, describing the required comprehensive plans and the associated training costs.

Why it matters: Corrections reimbursements and local corrections fees are a material revenue source for county probation and public safety programs. The state-level changes Faucet described — DOC deductions for interstate compact and the planned 2029 sunset of local corrections fees — reduce the county's net flexible revenue and will force choices about reserves, services and staffing in future budgets.

Ending: Faucet closed by asking the board to consider reserves and interagency cooperation as the county navigates the funding changes; the board asked staff to continue refining revenue projections and to return with options.","Probation Director Jerry Faucet told the Pine County Board the county's CPO reimbursement rose in the proposed budget but that state deductions and a scheduled end to local corrections fees mean the county must plan for reduced revenue.",{"_33":99,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":100,"_41":101,"_43":102,"_45":103,"_47":104,"_49":105,"_51":106,"_53":107,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":108,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":109,"_67":-5,"_68":69,"_70":-5,"_71":72,"_73":72},6747102,"Court administrator cites higher CHIPS reimbursements and conservative appointment-budget assumptions",356,2788000,3144000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5533290-a23ea35dc298cfff97d5d6d547d59b02&start=2788&end=3144","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5533290-a23ea35dc298cfff97d5d6d547d59b02/thumbnail_2788000.jpg","/articles/6747102/Court-administrator-cites-higher-CHIPS-reimbursements-and-conservative-appointment-budget-assumptions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6747102-498e33acc3409e49792211d5cb8c371a/orig.mp4?Expires=1775392129&Signature=gBdfFENtWnNZT8gU5ov0ZCCVqCXlWnFDxjCuAuLCthKWH9x73Hrl13Oa8Fqq6lybfZH0CeaowyaHRmkvRM6NniEtl3eoR6nOZs5mbAiva2BOdMvKNShalxYCf~~Vci0jLliDOH-Xy-rpNxAf4HlGCqJ1dBWwBZ27ImRM~FBWE-2oeaR2eCEza8jMKeIYSXew73MN1xDOGeJC6PmHBgF3-Jlqgi3ZqKZohPrrTmno8XIVHqX~~maJPIH9yW9uvqC8ArG9rZ7Q4mAzHCDuU0Xm9g7p1-~XIU9L16e8jCHvI4-f2dX5bQh6oU19buX-Gs6mcbWmlpQvLDXZcoFlDKYhbQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Court Administrator Amy Willard reviewed the trial-court and court-administration budgets. She said trial-court phone and postage reimbursements flow to the state and that the court saw higher-than-expected EPC reimbursements in CHIPS cases this year. \"The emergency protective, the EPC reimbursement is for our CHIPS cases. Actually, we've had more of a reimbursement this year than we thought,\" she said.

Willard described administrative changes intended to reduce appointment and examiner costs: centralized appointment processes in the juvenile (CHIPS) calendar and a more selective approach to court-appointed attorneys and examiners. She left a conservative $70,000 for court-appointment costs in the 2026 budget while noting early signs the figure may be lower if centralization continues to reduce ad hoc expenditures.

She also noted fines-and-fees revenue is down compared with earlier years and that changes in program structures (for example, the ending of an STS program) can alter fine capture and timing of revenue. The court's staffing and IT changes reduced past printing and phone costs, she added.

Why it matters: Court operations and appointment costs are recurring drivers of county and state reimbursements; the appointment line and examiner payments can fluctuate with case volume and billing lags.

Ending: Willard asked the board to allow the conservative appointment number for now and said she will return with updated year-to-date figures if the centralization trend continues to lower actual expenditures.","Court Administrator Amy Willard told the board the court budget is largely stable; she flagged higher emergency-protective-care reimbursement for CHIPS (child-in-need-of-protection) cases and kept a $70,000 court-appointment specialist line in the budget as a conservative estimate while centralized appointment protocols reduce some demand.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

HHS presents tight 2026 budget: SNAP cost-shift, MAPA/ACT child-protection changes and opioid funds focus planning

County attorney says most proposed increase is for salaries; victim-services grant covers coordinator role

Probation director flags corrections fee sunset, juvenile-center contract and indigency funds as budget pressure points

Court administrator cites higher CHIPS reimbursements and conservative appointment-budget assumptions