Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Hiring And Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Marquette County DHS approves two staff positions for 2026 budget
Summary
The Marquette County Department of Human Services board approved including a full-time Community Support Specialist job description in the 2026 budget and adding a Therapist position after hearing service-capacity and waitlist data; both items were described as reimbursable and motions carried.
The Marquette County Department of Human Services board on July 7 approved adding two personnel items to the 2026 budget: a full-time Community Support Specialist job description and a Therapist position.
Mandy Stanley, Director, presented the Community Support Specialist job description, saying the role would require a bachelor’s degree and work closely with the county’s CCS program. Stanley said the position is fully reimbursable and that using local staff avoids the waiting and travel time associated with contracted services. Following discussion, Ken Borzick moved and Tim Jozwiak seconded a motion to include the job description in the 2026 budget and forward it to the Executive & Finance Committee; the motion carried.
Stanley and Dawn Woodard reviewed the case for a Therapist position, noting that a similar position added three years ago could not be filled and was later removed. Woodard reported the average outpatient wait for services is 41 days and presented data on hours and expenses for outside contractors; the board was told a Therapist working within county programs would also be reimbursable. Peggy Krause moved and Barbara Sheldon seconded a motion to add the Therapist position to the 2026 budget; the motion carried.
Why it matters: Board members and staff framed both hires as capacity-building steps intended to reduce reliance on contracted services and shorten client wait times; staff said the positions would be reimbursable under existing funding streams, lessening budgetary impact.
Next steps: The Community Support Specialist job description will be forwarded to Executive & Finance for further review as part of the 2026 budget process. The department’s budget is scheduled to be presented to the Human Services Board on Sept. 8 at 10:00 a.m.
Attribution: Mary Walters called the meeting to order and motions were made on the floor by the board as noted in the minutes. No formal roll-call vote tallies were recorded in the minutes for these motions.
