Supervisor Ben Rogers used the public-comment period at the Linn County Board of Supervisors meeting on Dec. 13 to report a state contracting decision affecting regional mental-health administration.

Rogers said he had received notice that the East Central Region (ECR), a regional collaboration for mental health and disability services, was not selected as an Administrative Service Organization; instead, he said, the state awarded the contract to Iowa Primary Care Associates. "On July 1 of 2025, Iowa Primary Care Associates will be the administrative service organization," Rogers said, adding that the ECR board was surprised and that local nonprofit service providers were still trying to digest the award and its implications.

Rogers, who said he sits on the East Central Regional board, said the ECR will cease to exist on June 30, 2025, and that county-contracted positions tied to the regional structure may be affected. He described uncertainty about what the change will mean for local services such as the mental-health access center and nonprofit providers that previously worked with ECR.

The board did not provide a formal response during the meeting. Rogers also used public comment to thank HR and department heads for timely notifications after a recent unexpected employee death in the secondary roads department and urged continued care and communications for affected employees and families.

The comments were delivered during the meeting’s public-comment period; no formal board action addressing the ASO decision was taken at the session.