New Cayuga County law separates social services, mental health oversight
The CitizenDec 03, 2021
Dec. 3—Seven years after adopting a law that combined the positions of social services commissioner and community services/mental health director, the
With the pending retirement of
Bizzari has been the only person to serve in the community services director role under the 2014 law that put that position in charge of the county's mental health and social services departments. At the time, the Legislature and the county administrator believed consolidation made sense because there was considerable overlap in the client base served by both departments.
But as Bizzari has prepared to transition out of county employment, he recommended re-establishing the separate posts: a social services commissioner and a community services director who would oversee the county's mental health services, including its clinic on
"With a combined budget of
The county Legislature was originally looking to hold a public hearing and vote on a new local in October, but an issue with the wording in that local law generated concern from the Cayuga County Community Services Board, an appointed body which under state law hires the community services director.
The October version of the local law included language that would have given the county Legislature the authority to establish a separate mental health director post that it would hire.
In the same column in which he supported the broader concept of separating social services from the mental health department, Bizzari stated his opposition to the idea of splitting the mental health director and community services director positions.
Legislator
But in order to alleviate concerns, the local law was reworded to remove that language and re-introduced in the November legislative cycle. A public hearing was held at a special Legislature meeting on Wednesday, and after no members of the public spoke, the local law was passed in a unanimous voice vote.
Daly said the county can move forward with its social services commissioner search and the Community Service Board can do the same for the director of community services post. Officials are hopeful to have replacements board by
The new local law does not establish salaries for either position. That decision will be made the Legislature as it controls the county budget.
While the Community Services Board has the authority to hire or fire a director of community services, the law states that it must consult with the Legislature on the matter.
"Because the position also serves as a department head under the
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