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Judge urges renewal of juvenile millage, warns of costly out-of-county placements if funding cut
Summary
Judge Pollard said juvenile millage supports roughly 30% of the youth facility operating budget and leverages state reimbursements to avoid sending youth out of county; he told commissioners that losing the millage would raise costs and limit local services.
Judge Pollard explained the juvenile millage funds critical services for the county's youth facility and said without the millage the county would be forced to send higher-needs youth out of county or state, sometimes at costs of $350 to $1,200 per day. "We are able to leverage those dollars... we would not be able to function as a youth facility without the millage dollars," Pollard said.
The judge described diversionary programs and in-county treatment that keep most families local and said the millage supports nearly 30% of operating costs and enables state reimbursement that multiplies local dollars. Commissioners asked about unintended consequences if the renewal failed; Pollard said reduced services would likely result in higher long-term costs and less local control over treatment. No vote on a juvenile renewal occurred at the meeting; the discussion served as a briefing for commissioners considering upcoming renewal decisions.
