Lee Pulaski, lpulaski@shawanoleader.com
Shawano County is looking at merging two departments — Social Services and Community Programs — into a single Human Services Department, emulating a vast majority of counties in Wisconsin.
The County Board voted 23-4 Wednesday to form an ad-hoc committee to look into the costs and procedures required to complete the merger. Four county supervisors and three county residents will comprise the committee.
County Board Chairman Jerry Erdmann will represent the county along with the chairs of the Finance Committee and Community Programs and Social Services board — Arlyn Tober, Rosetta Stern and Bonnie Olson, respectively.
John Hill, Ann Miller and Melissa Schuler will be the citizen representatives.
The county expects the departments will be merged by Jan. 2, according to Administrative Coordinator Tom Madsen, who has previously worked in social services departments for other counties.
Madsen said that Shawano is one of eight counties in the state that does not have a combined Human Services Department.
“We drew up an ambitious time line, but (state officials) said it could be done,” Madsen said.
Madsen said it is unlikely the state will oppose a feasibility plan proposed by the county.
The issue of combining the two departments has been on county officials’ minds for some time, according to Olson, but the recent retirement of Barb Larson-Herber, community programs director, was a catalyst for moving the idea forward.
“I think it’s a good idea because, with Family Care coming (to the county), this can all be done before it takes place,” Olson said.
The two departments combined are expected to cost the county more than $17.2 million to operate, more than one-third of its $50 million budget, according to the county’s 2014 budget report.
The Social Services Department is expected to spend almost $7.5 million in 2014, including the budget for the Office of Aging, while the Community Programs Department’s expenditures, combined with Lakeland Industries, are budgeted at more than $9.73 million.
Madsen pointed out that the consolidation would not save the county any money. While the two departments each have a director, human services departments in other counties usually have a director and a deputy director, he said, so no administrative positions will be eliminated.
Madsen said he and other county officials have been talking with employees in the two departments to explain the process.
“This county is ready for it,” Madsen said.