ASHLAND — Ashland County commissioners Thursday approved a state-mandated, 15-person committee tasked with reviewing and analyzing county welfare programs.
The ratification comes a week after Ashland County Department of Job and Family Services’ request to approve an 11-person committee.
Commissioners tabled that request March 27 after hearing concerns from Ashland County Juvenile and Probate Judge Karen DeSanto-Kellogg. The judge was concerned that:
- the majority of the committee comprised of JFS employees, posing a conflict of interest
- the committee did not include an at-large member of the public
- the committee did not include a representative from the schools
Before tabling the resolution last week, Commissioner Denny Bittle suggested the committee be smaller.
“More is not always merrier,” he said, addressing Peter Stefaniuk, director of JFS.
Nevertheless, the committee grew.
The four additional people include an at-large member of the public, a school superintendent, a magistrate from common pleas court and Desanto-Kellogg.
Stefaniuk said there are many representatives from JFS because the law requires the committee to review programs like child support, income maintenance and child welfare.
“So there are going to be a number of our people,” he said.
What does the law say?
The only required makeup of the committee, according to the law, include “a member to represent (JFS), an employee in the classified civil service of the county JFS … and a member to represent the public.”
Others on the board should be appointed “in such a manner that the committee’s membership is broadly representative of the groups of individuals and the public and private entities that have an interest in the family services provided in the county.”
The law also states the committee should reflect “the ethnic and racial composition of the county.”
The committee members are listed below:
- David Ross, Director, Ashland County Mental Health and Recovery Board
- Vickie Taylor, Director, Ashland County Health Department
- Jerry Strausbaugh, executive director, Appleseed Community Mental Health Center
- Gregg Ashbrook II, director, Advocates for Families
- Barb Queer, member of the public
- Steve Paramore, superintendent, Ashland City School District
- Emily Bates, Magistrate, Ashland County Common Pleas Court, General Division
- Karen DeSanto Kellogg, Judge, Ashland Common Pleas Court, Juvenile & Probate Divisions
- J. Peter Stefaniuk, director, Ashland County Department of Job and Family Services
- Betty Honaker, income maintenance supervisor, Ashland County Department of Job and Family Services
- Kerri Pidgeon, income maintenance supervisor, Ashland County Department of Job and Family Services
- Sandra Merrill, attorney, Ashland County Child Support Enforcement Agency
- Renee Fox, supervisor, Ashland County Department of Job and Family Services, Children Services Division
- Robin Goodwill, fiscal supervisor, Ashland County Department of Job and Family Services
- Tony Shambaugh, manager of information systems, Ashland County Department of Job and Family Services
The group will meet for a public hearing on April 7 at 1:30 p.m. in the JFS building.
The law, implemented in 2017, generally requires the county family services planning committee to evaluate the services JFS provides and to make recommendations on “Title XX” expenditures.
Stefaniuk said JFS receives roughly $500,000 annually in Title XX money.
That money, which is available federally, is allocated through the Social Security Act. The money first goes to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, which then distributes to county departments to fund social services for adults, children and families.