As many as eight Mower County officials will attend a leadership summit in St. Charles Monday to discuss how county government can better serve the public.

The summit will bring together officials from 11 counties in southeast Minnesota, including Freeborn, Dodge and Olmsted. Staff members of Sen. Al Franken, Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Congressman Tim Walz have also been invited to participate in the discussion.

The county officials will discuss new and ongoing collaborative efforts and services concerning public health, highways, environmental services and human services. The summit is designed for county officials to look to the future and ways to expand and improve existing programs. Officials will also discuss ways that county government can improve quality, efficiency and cost savings.

According to an agenda, the summit will ask officials a key question: “How can we organize to provide what our citizens need in a more efficient effective manner?”

The leadership summit is from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at St. Charles Borromeo Church.

Local officials planning to attend include Commissioner Tim Gabrielson, Commissioner David Hillier, human services director Julie Stevermer, director of public health Margene Gunderson, engineer Mike Hanson and coordinator Craig Oscarson. Mower County Attorny Kristen Nelsen and Steve King, director of correctional services, may attend the summit.