Dunn County committee accepts vouchers, reports positive 2025 position

The Neighbors of Dunn County standing committee voted unanimously Feb. 26 to accept vouchers and the agency's updated financial reports ahead of the 2025 audit. The motion was made by Supervisor Storey and seconded by Supervisor Wolf; the committee approved the reports by voice vote.

Carmen, the community mentor administrator, told the committee that the current year-to-date actuals show a positive position of $1,385,389 including depreciation and about $1.8 million without depreciation as the agency closes out post‑2025 periods for audit adjustments. "That's been primarily due to our short term rehab household being full," Carmen said, citing a favorable payer mix (including Medicare) that pays higher rates for more acute care.

Carmen also reviewed staffing and program line items. Agency staffing costs were reported at roughly $4,000,000 for 2025 (down from $4.6 million the prior year), and total nursing costs were cited at approximately $10,200,000 for 2025 versus $10,700,000 in 2024. She credited local hiring — including a notable number of high‑school students filling homemaker positions who are progressing into certified nursing assistant roles — and a recent raise for in‑house staff as factors that reduced reliance on agency staff.

The committee discussed voucher detail lines, and Carmen explained that the 'contractual consulting' expense category covers contracted vendors such as the pharmacy, therapy providers, call‑light/monitoring vendors and other companies with annual prepaid contracts; those prepaid allocations will be broken out in the new ERP system currently replacing SAP.

Supervisor Lawford asked specific questions about recurring contractual consulting entries on vouchers; Carmen said the new financial system should provide greater line‑item detail going forward.

The committee accepted the vouchers and financial reports without further comment. The next committee meeting is scheduled for March 26 at 9 a.m.