Commissioners hear request to extend Young Williams child-support contract; decision put on hold

Jeffrey Merritt, presenting under Social Services, asked the board to approve the first of three one-year extensions in the county’s contract with Young Williams, the vendor that administers child-support enforcement services on the county’s behalf.

Merritt described the contractor’s role—establishing paternity when needed, pursuing court orders, enforcing arrears and collecting ongoing payments—and said Young Williams’ work has been "very satisfactory," noting the county tracks performance and receives monthly reports. He also said the decision to contract was originally made after the state moved the function to the county level.

Commissioners asked for clarification about program purpose and performance metrics (including whether child-support funds belong to the child, which Merritt confirmed). A motion to approve the extension was made and seconded during the meeting, but the board later asked to place that item on hold for further review, and the contract extension was not voted through at that time.

Merritt said Young Williams regularly reports performance data and that the vendor’s pricing in the proposed extension is comparable to current rates; commissioners directed staff to provide additional documentation before a final vote.