A controversial proposal to outsource jobs at a county-run nursing home is off the table for now, the nursing home's administrator says.

The original proposal would have brought in private firms to do the work of union employees in at the Sauk County Health Care Center south of Reedsburg. The Sauk County Board turned down the proposal in February by a close vote.

Three months later, in May, the County Board approved a resolution allowing staff to take another look at the issue. County staff estimated private firms could do kitchen and housekeeping work cheaper than union employees, which could save taxpayers about $1.3 million over the next five years.

The nursing home's administrator, Kim Gochanour, said Wednesday staff are no longer considering outsourcing.

"Right now, we're really looking more at cost containment of existing staffing," she said.

Gochanour said it wouldn't make sense to run an outsourcing study using the existing health care center because staff are about to make the transition to a new $12.56 million facility slated to be built in the city of Reedsburg.

Officials have been scaling back the number of beds available in the nursing home. But previously, purchases had remained constant.

"As we have reduced our numbers of beds, we haven't necessarily reduced our orders," Gochanour said.

In recent months, supply and food purchases have been scaled back proportionate to the downsize in the number of available beds. And that has reduced costs, Gochanour said.

If outsourcing were going to be studied, it would make more sense to do it after the move to the new facility, Gochanour said.

Supervisors have expressed concern over losing decent-paying wages in Sauk County; contracting firms are likely to pay employees less and not offer the same level of benefits.

Others say outsourcing is needed to reduce the tax burden of the Health Care Center, which is budgeted to use $3.2 million of the $25.8 million in local tax dollars in Sauk County's 2008 budget.