Opinion ID: 1433768
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The County is a subordinate agency

Text: In the present case, the County was acting as a subordinate state agency. The Colorado Human Services Code,§§ 26-1-101 to -201, 8 C.R.S. (1997), is unmistakably clear in pointing out that a county board is an agent of the state when it makes expenditures for social services. Section 26-1-118(1), 8 C.R.S. (1997), states in relevant part: The count[ies] ... shall serve as agents of the state department and shall be charged with the administration of public assistance and welfare and related activities in the respective counties in accordance with the rules and regulations of the state department.  (Emphasis added.) In support of this view that counties are, with respect to actions related to their social services budgets, subordinate agents of the state, we note that a county may not adopt a social services budget until it has been submitted to the state for review, see § 26-1-124, and the county social services fund must be administered in accordance with state rules, see § 26-1-123. Indeed, in the extreme case where a county has failed to comply with state rules regarding social services, the state may terminate all financial assistance to the county and directly administer the social services programs of the county. See § 26-1-109(4)(b), (c), 8 C.R.S. (1997). Moreover, our cases have consistently held that a county board, when acting in its capacity as the county board of social services, is a subordinate agency of the Department. See Brockhurst Boys Ranch, 195 Colo. at 27, 575 P.2d at 846; Martin, 191 Colo. at 109, 550 P.2d at 865; Board of County Comm'rs v. State Bd. of Soc. Servs., 186 Colo. 435, 442, 528 P.2d 244, 247-48 (1974). We recently reiterated that result in Romer v. Board of County Commissioners for County of Weld, 897 P.2d 779 (Colo.1995) (county social services program functions as agent of state) and State v. Board of County Commissioners of Mesa County, 897 P.2d 788 (Colo.1995) (same). Here, because the County was both making expenditures for social services and was acting in its capacity as the county board of social services, the County was a subordinate agency to the Department.