WASHINGTON COUNTY — Department of Social Services staff told the County Committee on Health and Human Services on May 28 that the department’s budget is under stress because of high-cost foster care placements, rising homeless assistance bills and timing issues with state reimbursements.

Tammy, a Department of Social Services staff member, told the committee that expenditures are presented “as of May 20” while revenue claims are only through March 31, which complicates early-year comparisons. She said a state claims review corrected a prior coding error that shifted a very expensive placement out of the foster care line and into family assistance, a change that will reduce local cost exposure for last year’s spending. “One placement … was roughly $23,000 a month,” Tammy said, and the retroactive correction is “roughly $450,000 from last year.”

The report to the committee outlined several budget line issues and near-term actions. Tammy said she expects to bring “a resolution next month” to adjust appropriations so the county can pay a bill for 30 days of placement in 2023 that was about $21,000. She also flagged roughly $50,000 in equipment funding and about $86,000 set aside for vehicles that likely will remain unspent until the board provides direction on vehicle purchases.

Why it matters: Committee members tied the department’s higher net cost to two program areas with lower reimbursement rates: high-cost foster care placements and homeless assistance. Committee discussion connected the department’s increased net cost to the countywide budget outlook and a larger tax question; one supervisor warned that the department’s shortfall was a major factor in a county tax increase under consideration.

Details and questions from the committee emphasized uncertainty. Tammy said juvenile delinquent charges and Raise-the-Age payments arrive on variable schedules; she noted the county recently received a bill of about $21,000 for a 2023 placement and will ask the board to adjust appropriations to pay it. Committee members pressed for clearer line-item reconciliations and more timely indicators on homelessness and motel nights; Tammy and other staff agreed to produce monthly trend indicators for committee review.

The committee also debated local responses to motel-based homelessness. Members discussed whether the county should pursue a county-run shelter or other long-term housing investments; staff warned that a purpose-built shelter would trigger additional staffing and service obligations that motels do not. Tammy said state grant opportunities sometimes exist for capital projects but require application windows and partnerships.

No final budget votes were taken at the meeting. Tammy said the department will return next month with a formal resolution to change appropriation lines and to request payment authority for the identified bill. Committee members signaled they want more frequent, clearer reports showing where overspending occurred and how state and federal reimbursement timing affects local net cost.

Ending: Committee members asked staff to return with more granular reconciliations and a monthly homelessness indicator to show whether motel use and nights are rising or falling. Staff said they will deliver that data and bring the planned appropriation resolution to the board in the next meeting cycle.