INDEPENDENCE -- State regulations and funding for roads topped concerns for Buchanan County department heads during a legislative forum Thursday.

Sheriff Bill Wolfgram and Community Services Director Julie Jetter said they would like to see a simplified process for mental health commitments.

Existing regulations cost counties more because services are duplicated whenever someone is involuntarily admitted to a hospital for 72 hours, Wolfgram said.

Under the requirements, the sheriff's office needs a doctor's recommendation and a court order to commit a person. That can take a deputy off the street for several hours while the patient is transported and assessed at facilities like Covenant Medical Center in Waterloo, one of many hospitals with a contract with Buchanan County.

"When I was a deputy, at Covenant, we could sit for four or five hours while they process them," Wolfgram said.

Last year, the sheriff's office served commitment papers on more than 700 people, but Jetter said she expects that number will increase in 2007.

Jetter said other problems arise because the county relies on private hospitals, like Covenant, to handle patients instead of the Mental Health Institute, which is in Independence.

Rep. Dan Rasmussen, R-Independence, said he understands the reason for some of the duplication because of liability concerns, but he said he wasn't sure why system had to be so complicated.

Sen. Brian Schoenjahn, D-Arlington, said finding resources this year in a tight budget will be a pressing need. He pointed to a report the Iowa Department of Transportation will run a debt of more than $28 billion over 20 years.

"I was absolutely staggered by that," Schoenjahn said. "Where in the world are we going to come up with $28 billion dollars? I have no idea."

He said proposals include increasing the gas tax or pickup licensing fee to cover the shortfall, but proposed hikes would have to be supported by both sides of the political aisle.

County Engineer Brian Keierleber said he is concerned the DOT will ask for an increase share of the road use tax fund, which could further strain county road departments. Eighty percent of the roads in Iowa are under a county's control, and any decrease in funding would drastically affect their budgets, he said.

During the 90-minute forum, Rasmussen and Schoenjahn hardly discussed local control of hog confinement operations, though the topic has generated heat previously in Buchanan County. Both legislators said they doubted any serious push would emerge to change existing regulations.

A major change this session will be the Democrats in control of the governor's seat and both houses of the Legislature for the first time in 40 years. Rasmussen said he is looking forward to the session, despite the fact that his party is in the minority.

"In my six years I'm going to experience all the different ways government works," he said.

Schoenjahn said his party's members have many broad expectations this year. But he added they intend to remain grounded.

"We're not going to be tagged as the tax-and-spend Democrats," he said.

Contact Josh Nelson at (319) 291-1565 or josh.nelson@wcfcourier.com.