Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Human Services Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Hubbard County Human Services seeks new staff as out‑of‑home placement costs rise; board questions levy increases
Summary
Human Services officials told commissioners they need additional staff to meet rising adult‑services and child‑services caseloads and cited rapidly growing out‑of‑home placement costs that depleted reserves; commissioners pressed on larger levy increases and long‑term fiscal sustainability.
Human Services staff told Hubbard County commissioners their 2026 budget request includes new personnel to cover rising demand in adult services, child protection and income maintenance, and that out‑of‑home placement costs are the primary budget driver.
"In adult services, the growth in the disability waivers has gone up 60%, almost 60% since 2020," the department presenter said during a work session, pointing to expanded eligibility and increased screening under state adult protection rules. The department recommended adding a 0.5 FTE in adult services to respond to that workload.
The presenter said long‑term care and out‑of‑home placements remain costly and unpredictable. "In fact ... in 2024, out of home placements were over $1,000,000," the presenter said, adding that through June 2025 the county had spent about $500,000 on such placements. Staff described occasional overnight stays by social workers at the office when no placement is available and noted one placement the presenter described as the only provider willing to accept the individual at roughly $3,000 per day.
Budget requests and reimbursements: Human Services requested several FTEs across units, including one for income maintenance (to process online applications that have increased) and additional case managers for disability and mental health work. Staff said some positions can generate reimbursement through time‑billing for services; one staffer explained reimbursable units are billed in 15‑minute increments and estimated billing rates "right around 25, 26" per unit depending on service type.
Why it matters: Commissioners questioned repeated large levy increases in recent years. One commissioner said the board has seen a 28% jump in her department's levy in prior years and expressed concern about follow‑on 20% increases. County leadership countered with steps to limit levy growth, including a proposal to budget compensation at 98% of full pay to reflect normal turnover and a number of other adjustments intended to lower the preliminary levy to about 7% in a forthcoming draft.
Staffing and service delivery: Human Services managers told commissioners the division has been filling vacancies and that retention has improved; they credited supervisors for improving culture and recruiting. Staff said telework flexibility has broadened the candidate pool and that retention and burnout mitigation are management priorities.
State policy risk and lobbying: Department leaders urged continued advocacy to the Minnesota Legislature about unfunded mandates and shifting state payment responsibilities, cautioning that future state policy could shift additional costs to counties and complicate assumptions that new positions will be reimbursed by the state.
Ending: Human Services will supply commissioners additional supporting materials, including a 10‑year budget history, reimbursement and recovery figures, and a requested staffing summary to help board members weigh the requests before the county sets a preliminary levy in the next meeting.
