HHS board recommends keeping $147,347 of 2021 surplus for staff retention; forwards recommendation to finance committee

The Richland County Health and Human Services Board voted April 14 to recommend that $147,347 of the remaining 2021 HHS budget surplus be retained for department retention and recruitment efforts rather than returned to the county general fund, and to forward that recommendation to the county’s Finance and Personnel Committee for consideration.

The motion followed a lengthy discussion and an amendment proposed by board member Timothy Gotchell to specify the $147,347 amount from the 2021 carryover. Gotchell said he supported retaining funds to help with recruitment and retention and proposed earmarking the bottom three line items from the department’s summary (totaling $147,347) for retention bonuses and sign‑on/incentive pay. Board members debated the math and wording on a draft summary; after clarification from Director Tracy Thorson and staff, the amended motion was moved, seconded and approved by voice vote.

Tracy Thorson told the board she had prepared a summary showing the department lost 18 staff in 2021 and two more in early 2022; at the time of the summary, six critical positions remained unfilled in areas including child protective services and mental health/crisis services. Thorson said using some of the 2021 funds to provide retention bonuses and recruitment incentives would address staffing shortages that threaten service quality and increase the workload on remaining staff.

Board chair and members confirmed the recommendation will be forwarded to Finance and Personnel and then to the county board for final approval. One board member asked when the Finance and Personnel Committee would consider the recommendation so they could attend; staff said timing would depend on the county board schedule, likely within one to two months.

The board recorded no dollar reallocation at the meeting; the action was a recommendation to the Finance and Personnel Committee and county board.