Last Week I attended the County Health and Human Needs meeting to find out why non-profits are being cut 3% and if they were at all concerned about it or inclined to do anything about it. I was shocked to hear it could be up to 100 layoffs.
A brief story first. The Tenant Resource Center, where I am Executive Director, started getting funding from the County to run the Housing Help Desk at the Dane County Job Center in 1998. I ran some numbers to figure out if the facts backed up my perception, and in fact, they did. These numbers are the percent changes from 1998 – 2009:
Increase in County Funding: 6.89%
Actual Increases in Cost to TRC for Wage Increases: 30.6%
Actual Increases in Cost to TRC for Health Insurance: 245.63%
Consumer Price Index Increase: 28%
Meanwhile, the County added over $8,000 of costs to our agency in copying, rent, phone and internet charges. By my calculations, we are $30,000 per year short to meet the same expenses/do the same services we had/did in 1998. And when we get $101,623 that’s a significant chunk of change.
And, I suspect, most agencies throughout the network of providers is facing the same thing. Meanwhile, the County’s population grew 15% from 1998 – 2008. And the economy crashed and we have rising needs for our services as people are out of work and had hours cut and years of underfunding services is catching up with us.
Anyways, enough of the digression, now that you know my interest, here’s the testimony and discussion on the 2010 budget by the people who testified and the committee:
STOUGHTON OFFICES
Supervisor Solberg spoke in support of Stoughton offices and support of amending the budget to include it. She says it’s a big part of her district. Last year she was informed they were selling the property to plug a $900,000 hole in the budget. They were hoping the city would buy it and then rent it back to them. Unfortunately, we needed the $900,000. It hasn’t sold, it costs $53,000 to run the buildings. Was told the services would stay. Helen Johnson is working to get an alternative place, and the only place she found is a nursing home. It will costs $100,000 a year and that would be eaten in up in less than 9 years. This doesn’t count any costs for moving. The building is set up for what they need right now. They can’t lose those services, a cab trip from Stoughton to Northport is $120 to go there and wait. She got a copy of an amendment to keep the services in Stoughton and she supports that. But we also need to look at the cost of not keeping the buildings.
Levin asks about how the building was sold in the last budget? We have a $900,000 hole now to make up. She knows we are supposed to come up with an alternative, but haven’t found a $900,000 alternative, it would have to go into the general levy to make that happen. She doesn’t understand how this happened, it’s not listed and not an offer and doesn’t understand why it ended up in the budget as a revenue. He says Sup Duranczyk is thinking we could rent it back and not increase the levy. Main thing is to save the services, but that will cost $100,000 and in the long run, we need to look long term and find out if it makes sense to be a tenant. Levin thinks that we could be a tenant in that same building that would be cheaper. They don’t know what that amount what might be. Levin argues we would be ahead by 18 years.
Vedder asks about $900,000 hole in the 2009 budget? The building is not sold. Not sure there is a problem in 2010. Lynn Green says don’t need a budget amendment.
Solberg doesn’t get it, and no one else seems to understand about the money being carried forward to 2010.
Stubbs says that Travis Myren was there to talk with them and updated them at their last meeting.
Vedder asks about $900,000 to be used for the Skaalen building? Solberg says we should reverse the decision to sell the building. The $100,000 a year is just a portion of what it costs, obviously it will go up every year and we don’t know renovation and moving costs. We are also taking a big risk if we are selling the building and going to be the tenant.
Stubbs saying us being the owners makes a good difference. They are very clear that they need the services and she thinks that they might get a better rent deal. Stubbs says there is a problem and they are working to resolve it.
Bruskewitz comes in late and says she was at the hearing in Stoughton and the services provided there that it makes it more efficient and she wants to find a way to save the building.
PURCHASE OF SERVICES TESTIMONY
Kevin Keisling from Avenues, Inc and representing the Developmental Disabilities (DD) Coalition. They appreciate the budget proposal and restoring some funding to POS agencies and the living wage, however, the reality is that the adult DD collation has been cut 17% since 2004, 2% 2009, 4.68 in 2008, 2.75 in 2007, .95 in 2006 and 4.? in 2005, plus they had the midyear cut this year. They have cut 75 positions. He says the levy support has been reduced to $4.3M less than 2005, despite the fact that the human services system can match funds and provide revenue. He points out Hulsey’s numbers that show we are paying more taxes for Public Safety at this point than for Human Services despite the fact that many think most of their taxes go to human services. The DD Coaltion has proposed initiatives that save money. In two years they have voluntarily saved $1.4M dollars, but fewer staff and services means more risk to the clients and consumers. Can’t continue to manage reduction and protect health and safety of clients.
Casey Behrend from Youth Services of Southern Wisconsin – says that he opposes reductions. That includes cuts to Dane County Human Services and POS agencies. Passed out copy of newsletter from Linda Ketchum at MUM – the article talks about the death of a homeless person. He highlighted an area the article that talks about how the budget is a moral documents that reflect values of community. He says we need to decide what our priorities are and do what we need to do to support those services.
Vedder asks about Children Youth and Families Coalition and if he is representing that coalition? He says Scott Strong will do that.
Julianne Carbin – Adult Mental Health Coalition represents 15 – 20 agencies – they range in size from small to large agencies. Similar to DD system they have experienced reduction in no cost to continue and reached point where don’t have many options. They are absorbing reductions in forms of staff layoffs. 20 layoffs are expected. They system is interconnected and a reduction to one affects us all. This will end up in layoffs and closing the doors of some smaller agencies and members of our community will end up in more costly institutions.
Vedder asks about staff layoffs. She says a conservative estimate is 20 across 16 agencies. Vedder asks what that means for services on the ground. Carbin doesn’t have that number. Vedder asks if she can get that for the next meeting. What services affected and how much? She says it might be hard to quantify but she will work on it.
Amy Mosher Garvey – AODA Chemical Dependency Consortium. She doesn’t have the numbers of services lost, a cut is a cut and we can’t afford many more. Not sure that loss of services is the right measure, already too many unmet needs. This isn’t about numbers tonight, we’re not asking to restore a gold standard, just need to serve needs in community. She is here to talk about leadership. Budget is statement of what we believe as a community. We put money where our beliefs are. Money needs to go where human need is, not human interests. Human need not negotiable, it’s the right thing to do. We need our leadership from Health and Human Needs to step up and say we cannot tolerate this cut, not because of numbers, but because it is the right thing to do. People and human need is different. $1 spent on people is different than a building. We shouldn’t choose to take care of people when we have the money and not when we don’t. Draft an amendment to restore the 2.88% cuts.
Vedder asks who is in the Chemical Dependency Coalition. Mosher-Garvery says that is it POS and private providers and agencies that don’t receive county money, public and private agencies that are involved in providing services.
Scott Strong in support of funding for POS agencies, he represents Community Partnerships and Children Youth and Families Consortium. He says he is a POS agency and a purchaser of services. He says they rely on same providers that you do to keep the most vulnerable population out of institutions. Actuarial calculations went up 28%, which means it is costing us more money. They have to offset that amount. Those increased costs don’t equate to increases in budget. Not asking for 28%, but can’t take any more cuts. As a purchaser of services, his kids are at high risk of placements in juvenile corrections or other institutions. Every year he had to figure out how to pay his providers, this year is even tougher, 3% cut at this point but can’t pass it on to the provider network, can’t control what Winnebago and Mental Health charges are. Still paying $9 – 11K per month and smaller amount to community. Urge you to restore the cuts and help keep the kids out of the institution. Urges an amendment. Best interest of the kids.
Vedder asks about Children Come First. He says Medicaid funded age 0 – 18 kids with mental health diagnosis and imminent risk of placement in institutions. 45 – 50 kids in residential, in the mid-90s they were up to over 100. This program has been successful and saved alot of dollars. Vedder asks what institutions – He says Mendota, Winnebago, or when they go to a residential facility they go for about 110 days or about 4 months. Used to be over a year. Also juvenile corrections.
Four others registered in opposition to budget cuts, but the room was packed with 20 – 30 people who were also there on this issue.
2010 BUDGET AMENDMENTS
Supervisor Duranczyk says she has an amendment to 2010 budget for Stoughton services, alot of talk of moving the services and cut in budget of two JFF positions and this amendment requires that essential human services, including JFF stays in Stoughton. Restore $53,000 for facility costs. No impact on the budget, no increase, keeps it the same. Would like them to support and pass on to personnel and finance.
Brustkewitz says the $53,000 is for the operating costs of the facility they are in, so the assumption is they will stay cuz not sold or if sold, they will rent from whomever purchases or find another place to keep them, not to exceed $53K. JFF is dealt with later. The JFF workers are covered elsewhere. Everyone is confused, it has nothing to do with JFF. JFF workers need a place to be.
Levin takes blame for confusion. We own building, the costs are there and they want to make sure the services stay there.
Bruskewitz asks about public health services and WIC moving. They will stay in the building as long as they can. If they sell the building they will keep the WIC clinics in a church basement.
Levin moves adoption, Vedder seconds
Bruskewitz asks about finding funding for $900,000 – she says no, she hasn’t found $900,00 in the budget, she has only been in office 12 days.
Levin says no.
Brusekwitz has looked and hasn’t found it.
She asks Lynn Green about list of assets the county owns and has there been any other options that are on the table or might be on the table soon. Bruskewitz thinks the human services building is important and should maintain services there.
Stubbs says services will not be interrupted.
Amendment passes.
Stubbs has two technical budget amendments. They will do the easy one first Health and Human Needs Amendment #3 – 1.0 FTE social service technician position vacant and it’s a reclass, it was made for the person in the job when there was bumping and now what they really need is a social worker in adult community services. This is the only position with this title, had to find a position when nursing home closed. That person is retiring. This is a cost neutral reclass.
Motion by Levin second by Vedder, motion passes.
Amendment #2 is a technical adjustment due to the 1% reduction and it is being moved to a “to be determined” line. The 1% reduction was put in the budget, they fine tuned what they need to do for that 1% and there were a few errors because – surplus of $69,000.
They ask who will determine it? GP Foster says that sometimes the numbers do not match. This prevents us from digging a hole until they figure it all out.
The number may change asks Bruskewitz? They don’t know at this point.
Bruskewitz moves approval, Levin second. Motion passes.
No other budget amendments. They can bring amendments next week.
