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Health and Human Services proposes levy reductions and referendum items; committee accepts plan
Summary
Health and Human Services and Veterans committee proposed a set of levy-reduction options to meet board targets, including eliminating or postponing positions, shifting programs to other departments, and recommending several items for referendum; Finance and Personnel Committee voted to accept the HHS plan.
The Health and Human Services (HHS) and Veterans standing committee presented a multi-year plan of proposed levy reductions and service changes intended to meet the county—s targeted reductions. The Finance and Personnel Committee accepted the HHS plan by voice vote.
Director Trish Clemens summarized HHS recommendations in response to Resolution 22-96, which directed HHS to develop a recommended list of projected levy reductions for 2024—2027. The plan the committee reviewed proposes multiple reductions and service changes across mental health, children and youth services, public health, nutrition and transportation programs.
Key items in the HHS package include removing a requested electronic health records replacement from the levy; eliminating an APS crisis worker position; reclassifying three mental health therapist positions to mental health case managers; postponing two mental health office hires in favor of contracted services; removing a levy request for the Children—s Long Term Support program; and eliminating the treatment court program. The department also proposed moving the senior nutrition program from public health to ADRC, reducing transportation funding, reallocating a portion of a SOAR grant to public health, and reducing child and adult placement funds with the potential to eliminate up to five positions by 2027.
Clemens told the committee some items would be recommended to appear on a public referendum, specifically the mental health therapist positions, treatment court, the technology budget and the senior nutrition program. Committee members noted the importance of remembering recent capital investments and the workload of department staff preparing the analysis; supervisors asked that HHS—s staffing counts be updated in packet materials.
Committee member Steve Carroll moved to accept the HHS plan as presented; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote with ayes recorded and no opposed responses noted.
The HHS report and a supporting worksheet with service-impact descriptions and dollar amounts were included in the committee packet. The committee recorded the HHS plan as having met the directive and forwarded the response.
