Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Personnel topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
HHS brings 2027 position requests to committee; supervisors press priorities and costs
Summary
A new process brought 2027 position requests to the standing committee where staff described multiple requests (public health FTEs, ADRC options counselor, behavioral health positions) and supervisors debated prioritization, start‑up costs and recruitment challenges.
The Health and Human Services director brought departmental position requests for the 2027 budget to the committee for early input, saying the committee process is meant to help prioritize which positions can reasonably be included in a balanced budget. "There's 2 public health FTE requests," the director said, noting one 0.15 FTE is needed to maintain communicable disease control as grant funding winds down.
Supervisors probed levy impact and timing. The director said the ADRC options counselor would be partially funded through Medicaid and estimated it would require roughly "$40,000 or $50,000" in tax levy to support the remaining cost, while the mental health co‑responder would be roughly $100,000 in levy with no offset and could be delayed if funding is not available. Board members emphasized the tension between early‑intervention positions and mandated core services: "I would really like to prioritize moving forward something like the corresponder," one member said, while staff cautioned that the co‑responder requires infrastructure and on‑call coverage to be effective.
Staff also warned that recruitment difficulties affect some roles, particularly master's‑level therapists for integrated clinics. The committee offered input but did not take a formal endorsement vote; the director said he would use the feedback to shape the initial budget recommendation to the full board.
