Aug 19, 2021 5 min read

Washington County officials are delaying their decision on whether to reconfigure the county’s Department of Human Services after concerns were raised about the overall cost of the redesigned agency and the addition of several new county employees.

The county commissioners decided during their workshop meeting Wednesday not to vote at today’s regular meeting on the department’s new organizational structure, which would combine various human services-related agencies under one umbrella and could transfer some workers to different positions.

Commissioner Nick Sherman, who has advocated for the reformatted human services department since he took office in early 2020, was disappointed with the decision not to move forward this week, but thinks it’s only a matter of time before it’s approved.

“I’m really looking forward to this. It’s long overdue for the county,” Sherman said. “For me, I don’t think we can act fast enough. Unfortunately, we have to make sure everyone is on the same page with this. We’ll see where this goes.”

The new model being proposed for the department would include a centralized call system for the public to use if they know someone who is having a crisis and needs help. That system would help to integrate multiple agencies in the case to figure out which one is most suited to help the person or people in need. There would also be careworkers available to immediately help people released from jail and assist them in finding housing and getting connected to a support system.

The integrated department proposed by Human Services Director Kim Rogers would be an additional $544,000 in personnel costs the first year, she said, although much of that money could be offset by the federal American Rescue Plan Act’s stimulus money and grants. The department would have 24 positions – which includes the hiring of eight new employees – and it will likely require some workers to be moved into new roles.

The creation of those eight new positions within the structure and the transferring of current employees to other positions would have to be approved by the county’s salary board, which includes the three commissioners and Controller Michael Namie.

The additional costs apparently concerned Commissioner Larry Maggi, who said he wanted baseline measurements to see if the integrated department is improving the system and justifying the added costs.

“It’s kind of trying to have the same points of entry and consolidating the services, is my understanding,” Maggi said. “I’m not criticizing the program. It’s all done in good faith. But the cost concerns me.”

Maggi has been raising various concerns about the county’s spending over the past year, and he reiterated that again after Wednesday’s workshop meeting.

“I don’t like the fact we keep adding positions at the county level,” Maggi said. “I have a record here of being frugal with spending.”

Much of the discussion during Wednesday’s workshop meeting was held during a closed-door executive session because of personnel reasons as some of the changes would include current workers.

Namie said he learned during the discussion there “potentially” could be cost savings because of the merger of positions or services, which has happened in other counties. He said he wanted more information about how that would apply locally.

“For me, it was nothing more than getting additional information before I make an informed vote. I assume in the near future that information will be presented and it will be revisited,” Namie said. “It’s not dead in the water, as far as I’m concerned.”

Over the next few weeks, Rogers plans to present more information to the commissioners and Namie to alleviate any concerns, while also finding cost savings if possible. She’s met with them in the past, but wants to offer more details to better explain the integrated department’s purpose and how it could provide better services to county residents.

“From our perspective, we’re going to have additional discussions and meetings to really convey the specifics of the model to the very details moving forward,” Rogers said. “For us, it’s a pause as we reconvene as a team to really look overall at the positions. It’s not off the table completely.”

Sherman and Commission Chairwoman Diana Irey Vaughan, both of whom support the current proposal, are now hoping to vote on it as soon as September.

“They have some concerns and would like to see some of the vision quantified in how we’re going to reduce reliance on the human services system in the long run,” Irey Vaughan said of Maggi and Namie. “We’re going to come back and revisit.”

It’s unknown whether Maggi and Namie will change their minds on the integrated department by next month, but Sherman said the county is wasting time the longer it waits to put the new measures in place and wants it to be approved soon.

“The more time we’re talking about it the less people we’re helping,” Sherman said. “The longer we go without this, the more people will be affected.”