County leaders want state to take social services

GRAND FORKS, N.D. (AP) _ County officials think the state should be in charge of delivering social services and they are asking legislators to study the idea.

The North Dakota County Commission Association is seeking a two-year study starting in 2011.

Its resolution says counties would contribute up to 15 mills of property taxes each. The state would take responsibility for such programs as Medicaid and food stamps.

Ramsey County Commissioner Joe Belford says some rural counties are nearly broke and cannot afford to pay for social services.

The county commissioners' proposal is similar to the child support enforcement program, which has switched from county to state administration.

Terry Traynor is an assistant policy director for the North Dakota Association of Counties. He said some fear that turning social services over to the state would mean a loss of services in some counties.

The association is doing its own study of the idea.

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