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Marquette County Human Services board approves proposed 2026 budget, cites rising placement and legal costs
Summary
The board approved the department's proposed 2026 Human Services budget and forwarded it to the Executive & Finance Committee, citing rising long-term placement costs tied to state rate increases, added legal expenses, and a $10,000 AI phone-system pilot.
The Marquette County Department of Human Services Board approved the department's proposed 2026 budget Sept. 8 and forwarded it to the county Executive & Finance Committee for the budget hearing.
Human Services Director Mandy Stanley told the board the draft budget reflects higher long-term placement costs driven by state institute rate increases effective Oct. 1 and that 2025 placements were previously underestimated. The proposal removes the Food Bank tax levy, reallocates billing specialists into service units, and adds increased legal services funding and a $10,000 pilot for AI software for the phone system; the pilot is free through the end of the year and would later move to the county IT budget if continued.
Board member Tim Jozwiak moved to approve the proposed budget and Peggy Krause seconded; the motion carried. The minutes do not record a roll-call tally for that motion.
Staff flagged operational concerns tied to staffing: a CCS case manager has accepted an offer to fill a vacancy, while a therapist submitted a resignation (the minutes note the therapist's caseload was about 35). Clinical Services reported outpatient and CCS waitlists (13 and 5 people, respectively) and 16 emergency detentions year-to-date tied to crisis calls; the three-year average for emergency detentions is 26.
The board approved the budget package for referral; any final appropriation decisions will be made during the county's formal budget process at E&F and subsequent hearings.
