County officials warn state, federal budget changes could raise HHS costs and disrupt services

Carlos, an HHS staff member, told the Walworth County Health and Human Services Board on July 16 that a recent state budget action and proposed federal changes create uncertainty for county programs and could increase costs to the county. He described a series of state and federal items that he said county staff are watching closely.

Carlos said Gov. Tony Evers used a line‑item veto to reduce a proposed juvenile corrections daily rate that had been set at $2,501 per day; after the veto the rate will be $501 per day in the first year of the biennium and will rise to roughly $700 per day in the second year. “That gives us a two‑year reprieve,” he said, adding that the county has not budgeted for youth correctional placements in 2025 and that the original proposed rate would have been “closing down a million dollars to treat one kid.”