Administrator
Division of Children & Family Services
The purpose of this memo is to remind all counties of the statutory
provision which permits them to receive a single consolidated aid even
though there is a separate department of social services and department of
community programs in the county. The primary benefit of consolidated aids
is that it permits a county to receive a single sum of basic county
allocation for the county instead of separate basic county allocations
for the social services department and the community programs
department. The Department believes this allows for more
efficient administration of limited resources. This memo does not contain
new policies but simply re-issues a previous numbered memo on this
subject (94-01).
I. Information for Administering Consolidated Aids
Statutory authority for consolidated aids is contained in s. 46.034(3):
(3) With the agreement of the affected county board of supervisors in a
county with a single-county department or boards of supervisors in
counties with a multicounty department, effective for the contract period
beginning January 1, 1980, the department may approve a county with a
single county department or counties participating in a multicounty
department to administer a single consolidated aid consisting of state and
federal financial aid available to that county or those counties from
appropriations under s. 20.435(7)(b) and (o) for services provided and
purchased by county departments under s. 46.215, 46.22, 46.23, 51.42 and
51.437. Under such an agreement, in the interest of improved service
coordination and effectiveness, the county board of supervisors in a
county with a single-county department or county board of supervisors in
counties with a multicounty department may reallocate among county
departments under s. 46.215, 46.22, 46.23, 51.42 and 51.437 funds that
otherwise would be specified for use by a single-county department. The
budget under s. 46.031(1) shall be the vehicle for expressing the proposed
use of the single consolidated funds by the county board of supervisors in
a county with a single-county department of county board of supervisors in
counties with a multicounty department. Approval by the department of this
use of the fund shall be in the contract under s. 46.031(2g). Counties
that were selected by the department to pilot test consolidated aids for
contract periods beginning January 1, 1978, may continue or terminate
consolidation with the agreement of the affected county board of
supervisors in a county with a single-county department or county boards
of supervisors in counties with a multicounty department.
II. Consolidated Aids Principles
Department policy regarding the administration for consolidated aids is
based on the following principles:
A. The intent of consolidated aids is to promote coordinated human
services planning at the local level.
B. Consolidated aids should ensure effective fiscal management for all
participating agencies.
C. Procedures for administering consolidated aids should ensure overall
accountability through the county public participation process.
D. Consolidated aids policy should recognize that this integrated
funding mechanism is essential to the effective management of the
community human services departments.
E. Procedures for administering consolidated aids should allow for
differences in local organizational structures and political processes.
F. Recognition that the county board of supervisors is
ultimately responsible for the administration of these funds at the local
level.
III. How to Apply for Consolidated Aids Status
A. Counties which have not organized under 46.23 (i.e.,
counties who do not have a human services department)
should follow these steps:
1. Counties may make an application for consolidated aids status
at any time. The Office of Strategic Finance (OSF) Area Administrator
will determine the appropriateness of the county application in
accordance with the principles specified in section II above. The Area
Administrator will forward the application with the regional office
recommendation to the Director of Area Administration, who
will process the application for the approval by the Department
Secretary.
2. The county board of supervisors must pass a resolution requesting
consolidated aids authority.
3. In its resolution, the county must identify the governance mechanism
(i.e., a consolidated aids committee) which will be responsible for
consolidated aids administration which includes the development of local
policies and procedures and the actual allocation of funds to the
participating agencies.
The consolidated aids committee should be composed of members
representing county government and the participating agencies. (An
existing committee such as the finance committee, could be charged with
this responsibility.)
4. The county resolution must also identify an administrative officer
who will be responsible for the administration of consolidated aids under
the direction of the committee. This person should have a working
knowledge of agency budgets and operations as well as county political
processes. (The administrative officer could be an agency director, a
county administrator, a chairperson of an existing committee or any person
the county considers qualified to carry out this responsibility.)
5. The county must alert the community to its consolidated aids status
through its public participation process.
B. State Procedures
1. The Department will provide consolidated aids counties with a single
allocation.
2. The state/county contract will be the official designation of
the county’s consolidated aids status. It will provide a single
community aids figure which allows for the movement of funds
without a contact revision.
C. Effective Date
The Department Secretary will approve a county’s consolidated aids
status for January 1 following the year of application.
A consolidated aids county need not apply annually to retain its
consolidated aids status as long as it remains in compliance with the
requirements for a governance committee and an administrative officer.
A county may rescind its consolidated aids status by county
board action and written notification to the Department. This change will
take effect on January 1 following the year of notification.
D. Consolidated Aids Policy for Counties Organized Under s.
46.23 (Human Services Departments)
1. A county organized under s. 46.23 may request consolidated aids
authority at any time by a resolution of the county board of
supervisors.
2. Consolidated aids status becomes effective upon approval by the
Department Secretary.
3. State procedures specified in III-B, 1 and 2 apply as with other
consolidated aids counties.
E. Consolidated Aids Policy for Multicounty Programs Not
Organized Under s. 46.23.
Counties operating a multicounty program may administer a single
consolidated aid for its 51.42/.437 and social services agencies under the
following conditions.
1. The counties would appoint a single governance or oversight
committee and an administrative officer representing all the participating
counties.
2. The counties would designate one county as fiscal agent who would
receive and disburse the consolidated aids based on the state/county
contract, and perform the necessary accounting procedures. (All agencies,
however, would continue their separate fiscal reporting to the state.)
3. For the purpose of consolidated aids planning and budgeting, the
participating counties would view its separate agencies as a single
operating unit.
4. Non-earmarked funds included in the consolidated aids allocation
could be transferred to a single agency or distributed among a number of
the agencies.
5. Funds transfers would be approved by the county board of supervisors
of the participating counties.
REGIONAL OFFICE CONTACT:
Area Administrator
CENTRAL OFFICE CONTACT:
Diane Waller
Office of Strategic Finance
(608) 267-8929
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