The Ford County Board voted this week to gain state approval to withdraw Ford County from the arrangement for the Ford-Iroquois Public Health Department.

The board's hired-attorney is asking the state public health department to allow Ford County to separate from the two-county arrangement.

A letter to State public health director Dr. Lamar Hasbrouck is asking the board to take action to withdraw from the agency in either November or December. The health department would then be split up effective June 30, 2014.

The Ford County Board has already prepared a resolution to withdraw. The Ford County Board has not publicly discussed as a full board the reasons for needing to split up the health department, but Chairman Rick Bowen said Tuesday that conversations between board members have occurred.

The Iroquois County Board has also indicated it too, favors dissolving the dual-county health department.

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