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Winona County approves contract with Ethical Solutions LLC for court-ordered guardianship services
Summary
The county approved a purchase-of-service agreement with Ethical Solutions LLC for guardianship and conservatorship services; commissioners discussed why multiple vendors are under contract, budget pressures, and the state mandate funding the service on local levy dollars.
Winona County commissioners approved a purchase-of-service agreement with Ethical Solutions LLC to provide guardianship and conservatorship services, a state-mandated service paid from local levy dollars.
The agreement was discussed during the May 13 meeting after commissioners raised questions about the county’s use of multiple vendors for guardianship services and the program’s budget. Commissioner Elsing pressed staff for numbers and said constituents had raised questions about repeated contracts.
County staff explained the county maintains multiple vendor contracts so it can avoid a waiting list and reduce travel time when guardianship services are required in different parts of the region. “So if one vendor is full, they can select another vendor,” a county staff member said, noting the county does not pay unless a vendor is actually used.
Commissioners also reviewed recent spending: 2024 line-item expenditures for guardianship services were reported as $423,958, and the 2025 budget for the line is $399,000. Commissioners requested follow-up information about client counts and trends, saying staff should track whether demand is growing or shrinking.
Commissioner Elsing noted the service is required by the state but funded locally: “Here is a service that is mandated by the state of Minnesota, but it is all on local levy dollars.” The board approved the contract after a motion and second; the item was recorded as approved.
Staff said vendors must meet statutory criteria before providing services and that the county only pays for services actually delivered. Commissioners requested that staff provide follow-up data on client volume and multi-year trends to inform future budgeting.
