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IHSS caregivers press Lake County for higher pay as officials warn state budget may shift costs
Summary
Dozens of IHSS caregivers told the Board of Supervisors they are underpaid, lack PPE after a sewage spill and want the county to accept a SEIU wage proposal; county social services and behavioral health officials warned a proposed state budget could shift more IHSS and other welfare costs onto counties, risking reserve depletion.
Dozens of in‑home supportive services (IHSS) caregivers urged the Lake County Board of Supervisors on Jan. 27 to approve larger wage increases and provide protective supplies after a recent sewage spill disrupted home care visits.
Caregivers and union representatives said low pay and a stalled contract are harming recruitment and retention. "We have to change our clothes and shoes before going into someone's house," Nicole Sullivan, an IHSS provider, told the board, saying the county denied her request for PPE after the spill. SEIU representatives said the union submitted a new wage proposal and asked the board to return to the bargaining table.
The appeals came as Social Services Director Rachel Delman‑Parsons warned the board that the governor’s budget proposal could shift substantial costs to counties. She said the draft budget would make counties bear 100% of any increase in IHSS hours and would pass roughly 20% of CalFresh administrative costs to counties under HR 1. "That is a huge, potentially unmanageable cost," Delman‑Parsons said, adding that Lake County’s realignment funds already cover a large share of IHSS provider pay.
Delman‑Parsons said the county has used realignment and other reserves to support IHSS and that, under current assumptions, reserves could be exhausted within two years if the state shifts the proposed costs. "We are not doing cuts today," she said, but she described steps the department is taking to reduce non‑emergency overtime, co‑locate investigators to save facilities costs and pursue advocacy with county and statewide partners to change the proposed budget treatment.
Supervisor responses were mixed: some said the board should press the state to assume funding, others urged caution about accepting open‑ended obligations that could trigger cuts elsewhere. Rhiannon Fillipi, speaking for State Sen. Mike McGuire, said federal and state matches cover most of increases when counties pursue certain options: "Lake County can use the $1.10 state participation and the 10% match option to raise IHSS wages so that the county can raise wages for IHSS workers while more than 80% of the cost is covered by state and federal matching funds," she said.
The board did not vote on wages during the meeting. Delman‑Parsons said she had issued a final offer to SEIU and was awaiting a response; she pledged more budget briefings and legislative advocacy in February to clarify options and risks.
Ending: The board heard repeated public requests for immediate support for IHSS caregivers and directed staff to continue negotiations and to bring more detailed fiscal options back to the board, while county leaders step up advocacy with state partners.
