OTTAWA COUNTY, Mich. — Ottawa County’s price range for 2024 is within the remaining stretch, as FOX 17 has reported public well being is going through cuts.
On Tuesday, public well being officers gave their final plea to see extra funding.
“After popping out of a authorities response to a pandemic, the place there’s a very giant improve in expenditures, and we’re wanting to return down in direction of regular,” County Commissioner Chairperson Joe Moss said to his fellow commissioners.
There was extra forwards and backwards Tuesday between public well being officers and a number of other commissioners on the Finance and Administration Committee.
“If what’s actually being mentioned is the Well being Division wants to return to pre-COVID funding ranges, our well being training and our diet applications weren’t funded at this stage. Pre-COVID, they had been funded way more carefully to the extent that we’re asking for now,” Well being Planning and Promotion Supervisor Lisa Uganski instructed commissioners. “So we might be seeing a particular influence to our meals, which then positively impacts the variety of folks in our group who’re very meals insecure and their entry to wholesome native meals in our county.”
She added what’s at the moment budgeted for her applications is half of her preliminary request.
As FOX 17 has reported, the draft fiscal 12 months 2024 price range contains important cuts to public well being. At present, the division is getting round $4.3 million from the overall fund contributions. It is also using $1.7 million from its wet day fund.
“So primarily, I am questioning, because the supervisor, how then do we are saying suicide prevention is or is not extra essential than meals entry or substance use prevention is or is not extra essential than ensuring folks have entry to training about what is perhaps inflicting power illnesses,” Uganski requested commissioners.
One thing that has modified is funding for household planning. This system is seeing a latest $200,000 increase. FOX 17 reported Friday the state launched public well being officers to Deliberate Parenthood of Michigan on the subsequent steps if the county was unable to fulfill Title X necessities.
“I am glad to see that one thing modified between Friday and yesterday and that these funds had been restored final weekend to fulfill the necessities,” Well being Officer Adeline Hambley mentioned.
Regardless of public well being officers’ funding issues for different applications, Fee Chairperson Joe Moss says the county is ready for any issues that will pop up.
“I imagine we’ve got a reasonably substantial contingency fund plan in case there’s any emergencies,” Moss added throughout the assembly.
Moss instructed his fellow commissioners and well being division officers he believes this price range draft is kind of beneficiant.
“In the event you take a long-term perspective right here, as a substitute of a really myopic perspective, this is a rise 14.397 budgeted that is the very best quantity, aside from one increased than the final 15 years. So I am very comfy with that,” Moss added.
In the meantime Commissioner Jacob Bonnema notes we may see some price range fallout sooner or later.
“I simply really feel this as rushed, ill-conceived and one thing that we have to take a step again and guarantee that we perceive once we’re slicing tens of millions of {dollars} out of a price range. It’ll have an effect, and perhaps it has unintended impacts,” Bonnema defined to commissioners.
Regardless of the battle over public well being funding, the commissioners are scheduled to vote on this remaining draft on Sept. 26.
Bonnema additionally raised issues about plans to broaden the county’s Veterans Affairs Division. He motioned to make use of cash earmarked for a brand new director to as a substitute usher in a guide and analyze veterans’ wants within the county.
Lone Democrat Doug Zylstra additionally moved to chop funding, allotted for company counsel.
The bulk voted down each motions.
