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Pitkin County Human Services reports 2024 fourth‑quarter finances and begins contingency planning amid federal funding uncertainty
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Summary
County Human Services staff told commissioners they closed fiscal year 2024 near budget, reviewed fourth‑quarter expenditures and payrolls, and outlined contingency plans in case of federal funding cuts affecting Medicaid, SNAP and other benefits.
Pitkin County Human Services staff presented the Board of County Commissioners, sitting as the Board of Social Services, with a review of calendar‑year 2024 fourth‑quarter expenditures and program payrolls and described contingency planning in response to uncertain federal funding.
Human Services Director Lindsey Maesch told the board the department is statutorily required to review the quarter and that staff would also provide annual statistics and a brief legislative update. Senior financial analyst Stuart Fox highlighted the department ended the fiscal year having spent about 94% of its budgeted expenditures and received roughly 92% of its budgeted revenues, numbers he said represent improved fiscal discipline.
Fox and Maesch walked commissioners through program‑level results. Adult protection and economic assistance show higher expenses driven in part by legal costs and salaries, Fox said; staff are working with county finance to align budget lines and to request supplements where needed. Norma Avila, manager of economic assistance, reported program‑level activity: the county processed 467 SNAP (food assistance) applications in 2024, 394 Medicaid applications, 43 Colorado Works (TANF) and 44 adult financial assistance applications — 948 applications in total across programs for the year.
Maesch briefed the board on rapid changes at the state and federal level. She and Human Services Directors Association colleagues are pursuing "best and worst case" contingency plans in light of a federal funding freeze and ongoing policy uncertainty around Medicaid and other federal pass‑throughs. Maesch said outreach and supplemental programs are most vulnerable: those activities often have no direct client benefit coding and could be cut first, which she warned would reduce enrollment assistance and community outreach that helps residents access benefits.
Commissioners asked about service interruptions. Staff said recent state IT outages affected processing windows but did not stop client benefits payments; the county is coordinating with state partners and private foundations to identify short‑term grant backfill options if federal funds are reduced.
No new appropriations were adopted during the presentation. Commissioners made a motion and unanimously approved the department’s formal fourth‑quarter expenditures report and the fourth‑quarter payroll report during the same meeting (see "Votes at a glance").
The board requested ongoing updates and directed staff to return with specific proposals if contingency actions (budget cuts, redeployments or outside funding strategies) are needed in the next budget cycle.
