County staff and commissioners reviewed human services grant reconciliation and the Center For Family Advocacy’s response to a proposed $32,000 reduction during the May 19 budget work session.

Staff said the Center For Family Advocacy’s 2009 allocation remained at $108,089 in the draft approved budget; the center argued it needed the funds to continue operations. Commissioners discussed whether the $32,000 noted in the center’s correspondence was a match for a lost grant or a request for future grant matching; staff said the center’s response indicated the funds were needed to sustain operations rather than to match a specific award.

The mental health authority’s prior allocation had been moved into the human services department in the recommended budget when the authority reported its intention to cease operations. Staff said that move did not change county subsidy totals but required internal reconciliation so the human services budget reflected actual grant and county funding splits.

Commissioners asked staff to clarify which human services items remained discretionary and which were county match requirements. Staff said a grants reconciliation had untangled duplications in prior budget presentations and that total county subsidy for human services in the draft remained similar to the prior year ($269,911 noted as county funding listed in schedules, with $1,095,473 of required match across grants visible on a summary page).

The commissioners also discussed creating an unallocated non‑county line item for community partners and new Human Services leadership; Commissioner Raley proposed setting $100,000 aside for that purpose and directed staff to consider the new human services director’s recommendations.

No formal actions were taken; staff said commissioners would carry the reconciled human services schedules into the draft approved budget and reflect any directed changes for the May 27 hearing.