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Linn County declines to sign 28E agreement with East Iowa Disability Alliance, citing lack of local authority
Summary
The Linn County Board voted Sept. 29 to decline a proposed 28E agreement with the East Iowa Disability Alliance (the local Disability Access Point), saying a 2023 law has left the DAP as a state-run implementation with little local decision-making power; legal and finance staff signaled support for opting out.
The Linn County Board of Supervisors voted Sept. 29 to decline a proposed 28E intergovernmental agreement with the East Iowa Disability Alliance, the local Disability Access Point (DAP), saying the county would assume liability without meaningful influence over policy.
Supervisor Sheets said the legislature’s 2023 changes put behavioral health and disability access under state control and left the proposed DAP governing board with little practical authority. “I don't think it makes sense for us to enter into a legally binding agreement, take on liability for us to have absolutely no ability to shape policy at the DAP,” she said, urging the board not to sign the agreement.
Supervisor Sheets told the board that Lisa Epps, head of the county attorney’s civil division, had emailed her support for declining to sign and that Don Gingerich, the county’s director of finance, had expressed the same view. Board members said the county remains committed to ensuring services continue: “The state is still required to provide those services to Linn County residents,” Supervisor Sheets said.
Board discussion also noted the personnel implications of the regional-to-state transition. Members asked staff to monitor any changes to employer-of-record arrangements; the board heard that the DAP is considering a single employer model that could mean employees currently associated with the region would no longer be county employees after the transition.
The board approved a motion to decline to sign the 28E agreement by voice vote. Supervisors said the county remains open to reconsidering participation later if the DAP’s governance or state oversight structure changes.
What happens next: The county will not enter the 28E agreement as proposed. County officials said they will continue communication with the DAP's CEO and monitor service delivery and any opportunities to join at a later date if governance or authority change.
