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Marion County officials are bonding together to express their concern about the reorganization at the Department of Human Services.  As previously reported, the Iowa DHS plans to consolidate services across the state including the Marion County office in Knoxville.  County mayors, law enforcement, medical providers, department heads, judicial system members and advocacy groups have joined forces to write letters to DHS Director Charles Krogmeier.

Betty Moll supervisor of the County Central Point of Coordination for disability and mental services, says she believes that if the county continues to band together she thinks we have a fighting chance to maintain services at the local office.  She says this consolidation would be very detrimental to Marion County and she does not want to see DHS “take the HUMAN out of Human Services”.

Marion County Supervisor Jim Kingery, who is one of the people leading the effort to keep the status quote at the Knoxville office, says the state is looking for money anywhere they can and this consolidation will simply push the costs onto the county instead of save money.  Kingery says he feels it’s important for him to be involved in the effort as the face of Marion County because this change would affect thousands of residents.

Moll, Kingery and other county officials are finalizing a few things with the letters and plan to send them to Krogmeier earlier next week.