The Mower County board voted to move forward on the once 12-county Southeastern Minnesota Human Services merger project Tuesday, but five counties already have opted out.

Mower joined Steele, Dodge and Waseca in moving forward, but Wabasha and Rice counties joined Winona, Fillmore and Goodhue in opting out.

Houston County tabled its decision and is set to vote on July 10 — the same day as Freeborn and Olmsted.

Even though the 12-county model is no longer an option, Mower County commissioners decided to move ahead to control Human Services costs, placing six conditions on its decisions.

“As long as we’re this far, we have to follow through and see where this leads us,” Commissioner Jerry Reinartz said Tuesday.

The county still has time to back out of the plan to potentially merge services, and officials must approve project planning and cast a final vote to officially become part of the human services redesign, which Mower County must commit to for about three to five years, until the plan is implemented.

With the Human Services department taking up more than a third of the county’s budget, Reinartz said, the county can’t sustain the high cost of services on the current model.

“The costs are just enormous,” he said.

Commissioner Mike Ankeny said the county board would likely have to add six to 10 employees if they continue on the current model.

“We’ve got to weigh all our options,” Ankeny said.

After the vote Tuesday, Commissioner Tony Bennett cited Minnesota statute 402A, which allows counties to share services. But, the statute also judges each county on performance and threatens sanctions or penalties for under-performing counties.

Commissioners have said the statute will require counties of 55,000 residents or fewer, which includes Mower, to start working together. Bennett said it’s better for the board to move forward and control its fate, instead of having the state potentially making such decisions later.

Still, Bennett said there are many unknowns.

“It’s really kind of up in the air of who is going be willing to work with you,” he said.