Carroll County executive committee approves nursing home budget increases, several transfers

The Carroll County Delegation Executive Committee on Saturday approved adjustments to the county nursing home budget, signed off on multiple year-end line-item transfers and adopted a proposed county revenue total while hearing public comment about agency staffing costs.

The committee voted to raise the nursing-related budget lines — including an adjustment to the licensed nursing assistant (LNA) staffing line — and approved a final nursing-home request presented by staff. The committee also approved a consolidated revenue number for the county general fund plus nursing-home receipts and cleared a package of small transfers to close the fiscal year.

Why it matters: The nursing home budget and related staffing choices were the meeting’s longest and most detailed item. Committee members, administrators and a public commenter discussed the county’s growing reliance on agency (contract) nursing staff, the cost of that staffing and steps to increase in-house hires while containing overtime and agency premiums.

The session opened with public comment from Greg King of Wolfeboro, who pressed the delegation to track agency staffing costs at the nursing facility. “We have hit it now with probably $3,000,000,” King said, referencing cumulative agency spending he has tracked over recent years. King also commended the temporary contract CFO for assembling financials, saying, “I do wanna commend her for that.”

Committee members and staff explained the proposed changes. The nursing-home administrator told members the county expects roughly $2.86 million in agency-staff costs this year and said nursing salaries overall will remain roughly flat;…