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County health director proposes raising general relief threshold to 30% AMI
Summary
Rachel Reese, director of community health, outlined proposed updates to Mills County's general relief policy: increasing eligibility to 30% AMI, aligning asset limits with state standards, clarifying intake is self-reported, and retaining $1,200 cremation assistance. Staff will review the draft for compliance with chapter 252.
Rachel Reese, director of community health, presented proposed revisions to the county's general relief policy intended to better align local assistance with regional and state practices. Key changes include raising the eligibility threshold to 30% of area median income (AMI) and adjusting asset limits to match state benefit standards for certain groups, which Reese said will better serve people receiving disability payments.
Reese cautioned that client intake is mostly self-reported: "it's self reported," she said, and noted staff do not perform an invasive background deep dive during intake. She estimated that "probably 80% of the people that come to us absolutely need help," and described operational steps to coordinate with the VA on benefit handling. Stakeholders Georgian and Scott requested that cremation assistance remain at $1,200; Reese said she would keep that figure in the draft and review the policy for consistency with chapter 252 before circulating it by email and, if ready, placing it on the next agenda.
Board members asked whether the changes had been budgeted; Reese said she did not foresee a large influx of applicants and expected the county could manage 2025 spending under the revised threshold. The item was presented for discussion and staff committed to follow up with a written revision and email to the supervisors.
