Last updated: September 2026
Price County’s children-and-youth caseload keeps climbing. On April 14, the Administration Committee took the first step to do something about it. Members voted to move forward a resolution adding up to two behavior-health social workers, positions funded by state and federal money rather than the local tax levy.
The vote wrapped a meeting that also touched an inclement-weather policy, elected-worker wages, and a challenge to how the county administrator gets reviewed. It was also the last Administration Committee meeting for two departing supervisors, Alan Bergstrom and Jeff Halster, who were both thanked for their time on the panel.
The resolution now heads to the full county board for a vote.
Why does the county think it needs two new social workers?
The state recommends roughly 25 clients per social worker. Price County has blown past that number. Administrator Nick Drier told the committee the county is sitting near 71 active cases, and the average across the state has drifted toward the 30 range.
“That’s both the average we’re seeing, and we’re heading into that 70-75 area,” Drier said, referring to the growing caseload.
The county first asked Health and Human Services for one position. HHS recommended two instead. Because individuals enter the children-and-youth program and often stay until they age out at 22, the list does not clear itself the way some other caseloads do. A client who enrolls at age 3 can remain on the county’s books for nearly two decades.
Who pays for the new positions, and will it hit the tax levy?
The short answer: not the levy. Drier emphasized repeatedly that the funding comes through state and federal channels, including CCS and CLTS programs.
“There is zero tax levy on this,” Drier told the committee. “Even our startup costs will be able to capture that under the funding.”
Payroll costs are covered at 100 percent by state and federal money. Even if caseloads stay manageable, the second hire would not sit idle. Officials said there is enough work funded through CCS and Medicaid to keep an added worker busy, so the positions would not simply exist on paper.
Where do the referrals come from, and why does this go to the board?
Most referrals come from families and schools. This is not a law enforcement-driven program, officials noted. The stated goal is keeping children safe in their own homes so families do not have to be pulled apart and pushed into the county’s children-and-youth system.
“That’s the big thing, is the individual enters the programming and it’s until they age out,” Drier said. “If you get on at three years old and you live here until you’re 22, you’re on it until 22.”
One committee member asked whether the roles would be easy to fill. The answer was blunt: recruitment is hard. Social workers trained for children and youth are scarce, and county officials worried about burning out the veteran worker who now carries the load. The committee chair noted the current staffer has been on the job for 20 years and is the one who would train the new hires. “We don’t want to lose her,” he said.
The committee voted to move the resolution forward to the county board.
Why isn’t the resolution to change the administrator’s review on the agenda?
A separate item nearly dominated the discussion. Supervisor Jason Hastings wanted the committee to consider a resolution shifting oversight of the county administrator from the executive committee to the full county board. The item was listed as a discussion, not a vote, and the resolution itself was not on the agenda.
Hastings argued the current structure means just a few supervisors review the administrator’s performance. “Larry is never there during the next review,” he said. “So there’s only four people giving a review on the entire county administrator. This goes against the democratic process.”
Other members pushed back. County Board Chairman Alan Bergstrom and a past chairman said input is already gathered from the full board before the executive committee files its review. Bergstrom said he printed the written review and made copies available to everyone.
“I got one from a committee member, but none from the outside of the committee,” one supervisor said of the response to that outreach.
The exchange turned pointed. One member called Hastings’ proposal “a head-hunting expedition” and warned that eliminating the administrator role would dump the work back onto supervisors. “You’ll suddenly become HR. You’ll suddenly become everything that you don’t want to do,” he said.
Hastings did not back down. “I’m asking for him to be accountable to all members, so the entire county is being represented, not just a subset of supervisors,” he replied.
The committee ultimately agreed the matter is largely settled, with one member calling the discussion “a moot issue.” No formal action was taken.
What would an inclement-weather policy actually do?
The committee signaled support for drafting a formal inclement-weather policy. Right now the county has almost nothing on paper, and this past winter tested that. Drier pointed to storms dropping 30-plus inches of snow with no clear playbook.
“I don’t believe the end goal of the policy should be to shut the doors and pay everybody to stay home,” he said.
Under the proposal, the decision on closures would rest with a team: the sheriff, the highway commissioner, and the administrator. A call would be made by 6 a.m. so the public could be notified early. The goal is not to close county operations but to shut buildings to public walk-ins when roads are unsafe. Emergency and 24-hour services would keep running.
Drier’s team also wants language covering power outages, heating or cooling failures, and other emergencies. Committee members gave the green light to bring the first few policies forward at future meetings, with changes marked in red so the board can see exactly what has shifted.
Why revisit the handbook, and what about workers’ glasses and wages?
The employee handbook is getting a refresh. Drier said the current version is “paragraph legalese” and hard for employees to navigate. The plan is to rewrite it into plainer language while keeping the same information, going through it a couple of policies at a time.
One emerging issue: employees wearing recording glasses to work. Several counties are wrestling with this, and Drier wants a rule on the books before it becomes a problem. The concern centers on places where clients expect privacy, including exam rooms and restrooms, where a recording device could create a HIPAA problem.
“I shouldn’t expect privacy. I may have a private meeting, but the law says somebody can record it,” Drier said. He argued the county should get ahead of the trend rather than improvise rules after the fact.
Separately, the committee discussed how future elected officials’ wages get set. Officials noted the process relies on comparing wages in comparable counties, but those comparables were not always fully used last time, leaving the numbers feeling subjective. The committee plans to put the wage-setting procedure in writing and hand it to the next administration committee to refine. There is general support for moving the timeline earlier so people know what the office pays before they decide to run.
When is the next meeting?
The Administration Committee’s next meeting is set for May 12. The panel adjourned after acknowledging the departures of Bergstrom and Halster, with several members noting they appreciated the open and candid back-and-forth over the years.
Quick Answer: Price County’s Administration Committee voted April 14 to send a resolution to the county board adding up to two behavior-health social workers, paid for by state and federal money rather than the local tax levy. The push comes as the children-and-youth caseload tops 70, well above the recommended range of about 25 to 30 clients per worker. The same meeting debated shifting the county administrator’s review to the full board and laid groundwork for a formal inclement-weather policy.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many new social workers is Price County requesting?
The resolution calls for up to two behavior-health social workers. The county originally asked for one, but Health and Human Services recommended two given the rising caseload, and both would be funded through state and federal dollars.
Will these positions raise property taxes?
No. Administrator Nick Drier told the committee there is “zero tax levy” on the positions. Wages, insurance, and retirement are covered by state and federal funding, including CCS, CLTS, and Medicaid dollars, and even startup costs would be captured under the program funding.
Why does the children-and-youth caseload keep growing?
Referrals come mostly from families and schools, and the count is climbing statewide, not just in Price County. Clients can stay on the program until they age out at 22, so the list does not naturally clear itself.
What did the resolution about the county administrator actually ask for?
Supervisor Jason Hastings wanted oversight of the county administrator moved from the executive committee to the full county board. The item was discussed but not voted on, and several members argued the current process already asks the whole board for input before the executive committee finalizes its review.
What happens to county operations during a major snowstorm?
Under the proposed policy, county buildings would be closed to public walk-ins when roads are unsafe, but county operations and 24-hour services would continue. A team of the sheriff, highway commissioner, and administrator would make the call by 6 a.m.
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