On October 3, the Jackson County Board of Commissioners conducted a public hearing to deliberate on the potential merger of the Department of Health and the Department of Social Services. Despite nearly an hour of public commentary opposing the consolidation, the board made the decision to move forward with the discussion. This matter will be further deliberated during a forthcoming work session scheduled for this Tuesday, October 10.
It’s crucial to emphasize that no definitive choice has been reached regarding the consolidation of these departments or their respective boards. The commissioners only intend to address this issue during the upcoming work session. Within their considerations, the board is contemplating three consolidation options, with a fourth alternative that maintains the current status quo.
Currently, the county operates with distinct boards for the health department and the Department of Social Services. These boards oversee operational matters and the hiring and termination of their respective directors. State law provides the county commissions with various avenues for merging these agencies and boards.
Under the first option, there would be no consolidation of the health department and the Department of Social Services. Instead, the commissioners would form these boards and appoint directors for both departments.
The second option entails merging the health department and the Department of Social Services into a unified human services agency. Concurrently, the health department board and the social services board would also merge. Members of the consolidated board would be appointed by the Board of Commissioners. The county manager, with input and consent from the human services board, would appoint a Consolidated Human Services director, who would in turn appoint someone with the qualifications of a health director.
Option three mirrors the consolidation of the health department and the social services department into a single human services agency. In this scenario, the board of commissioners would assume the responsibilities of the consolidated human services board. The county manager, acting as the consolidated human services board with the approval of the commissioners, would appoint a director for the agency, who would subsequently select an individual with the qualifications of a health director. The public hearing held on October 3 encompassed consideration of all these potential options.
