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Rock County human services requests CLTS staffing funded by state while ARPA-funded positions near sunset
Summary
Human Services described a net staffing change of +2.2 FTE for 2026 driven by state-funded children's long-term support (CLTS) positions and reductions elsewhere; ARPA-funded staff remain budgeted through 2026 but will no longer be ARPA-funded afterward, prompting supervisors to ask about sustainment plans.
Human Services Director (presenting staff) summarized major shifts in the department's 2026 recommended budget, including program growth in the children's long-term support (CLTS) program, reductions in some county-funded positions, and the end-of-ARPA funding timetable.
What staff presented Human Services told the board the budget reflects a net increase of 2.2 full-time-equivalent positions for 2026 compared with the current year. That net change includes a request for roughly 10 additional CLTS positions to accommodate caseload growth in a state-funded program; those positions are fully funded by state dollars and do not increase the county tax levy. Separately, the department proposed deleting or consolidating approximately 7.8 county-funded positions to help address local budget pressures.
ARPA-funded positions and sunset timing Staff reiterated that a number of positions had been funded with ARPA and that the 2026 recommended budget includes the final year of ARPA obligations: "Everything has been committed or obligated by that 12/31/24 deadline ... and the 2026 budget just reflects the dollar amount that needs to be budgeted in '26 to get the remaining dollars spent down," a staff member said. Supervisors asked how the department will sustain any services now paid with ARPA after 2026; staff said they are pursuing other grant opportunities and, ultimately, the board will need to decide whether to continue services with property-tax support.
Drug court and budget transfers Administration noted that the drug court budget will move administratively from the Sheriff's Office to the Human Services Department in 2026, transferring both revenue and expense lines into Human Services. Administrators described this as an organizational alignment rather than a program transfer: the program and services will continue but the budget will be managed inside Human Services.
Why it matters CLTS serves children with complex needs; state funding and staffing levels are tied to statutory program requirements and noncompliance can expose the county to penalties. Supervisors asked for discharge/admission statistics and caseload averages; Human Services said the program had grown by roughly 200 clients year over year and that average caseload per service facilitator is typically in the 252D30 family range.
Ending: Staff committed to provide supervisors with additional data on admissions/discharges, vacancy levels, and the department's contingency plans for sustaining services when ARPA funding ends.
