Who's to blame for the St. Joseph County's $5.8 million mistake?

The oversight, and the deficit it caused, have called attention to County Auditor Mike Hamann, as well as the role other county leaders play in financial decisions.

But should the mistake also have been caught by the county’s health insurance broker, R&R Benefits? The South Bend firm doesn’t help the county prepare its budget, but should itbe responsible for doing so?

Officials are at odds over those questions, with some defending R&R and others saying the county should explore other options.

This isn’t the first time R&R has been in the spotlight. Earlier this year, some County Council members pushed to hire a different broker, saying the county could get better service at a lower cost, but they were rebuffed by the county Board of Commissioners. The nine-member council is the county’s legislative branch, while the three commissioners form the executive branch and have authority over contracts.

Some health insurance brokers say if they worked for the county, they’d help prepare the budget and avoid mistakes like the one that caused a $5.8 million deficit.