County supervisors discuss mental health budget challenges
The Hawk Eye
Years after being ordered to spend down its reserves, Des Moines County s mental health fund is now within its state-mandated ending fund balance cap.
The milestone comes as mental health regions will be required to offer more mental health services beginning in July. We cover the people that Medicaid doesn t cover, explained Des Moines County supervisor Tom Broeker.
In Iowa, mental health for those under court-ordered mental health treatment is funded at the county level with the money then being routed into regions that run mental health services.
Advocacy is among the services provided to individuals. Advocates help the individual understand their rights and responsibilities as a person under commitment. Persons under committal do lose the right to own or possess firearms or ammunition, but they do not lose any other rights.
Des Moines County supervisor Bob Beck steps down, Shane McCampbell steps up
Bob Saar
It was a good run.
Bob Beck, a Democrat, served as a Des Moines County supervisor for 16 years before losing his seat to former Burlington mayor Shane McCampbell in the Nov. 3 general election.
McCampbell received 8,347 votes, incumbent runner-up Jim Cary got 7,924, and Beck lost to Cary a slim 14-vote margin with 7,910.
The Des Moines County Board of Supervisors is the executive branch of county government; supervisors are the county s policymakers and administer county programs by reviewing budget requests, appropriating funds, establishing tax levies, enacting ordinances, filling employee vacancies and hearing reports from county officers. The board is also responsible for overseeing economic development in the county.
With Fiscal Year 2021 revenues damaged by COVID-19, county budgets are tighter.
Bob Saar
for The Hawk Eye
There were no surprises at the Des Moines County budget meeting Tuesday at the First Church of Nazarene, 1015 S. Roosevelt Ave., in Burlington.
DMC budget director Cheryl McVey addressed the 21 public officials who attended, including department heads and the board of supervisors. McVey presented a slideshow highlighting the current fiscal year s budget and the proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2022.
The county s new fiscal year begins July 1 and ends June 30, 2022. The FY2022 budget hearings will run Jan. 5-15. A public hearing for the proposed budget will be March 23.