HOLLAND, Mich. — The Ottawa County Board of Commissioners posted an updated summary of changes to the proposed county budget Friday.
This follows Tuesday’s public hearing where many healthcare officials advocated for funding for the county’s health department, and more than 100 healthcare providers signed a letter sharing the impact public health cuts will have on the county.
Commissioners’ changes since that public hearing are posted below.
FY24 Proposed Budget 091523 by WXMI on Scribd
The total General Fund allocation has not changed.
Now, commissioners are suggesting the elimination of an epidemiologist to restore funding cut Tuesday from the Miles of Smiles program.
The funds from epidemiologist position, a mandated public health position that is not COVID-19 related, would be moved to the Public Health fund balance and used for Miles of Smiles.
"Miles of Smiles, in this iteration that was just posted, is funded and does not have a cut," Ottawa County Health Officer Adeline Hambley told FOX 17 Friday. "However, that, again, is not because any general fund increases being allocated to public health, but rather cuts to positions that are not related to COVID and are part of a mandated service that we have to run."
The Communicable Disease, Immunizations and Sexually Transmitted Disease programs, which the health department says are essential public health services, saw reductions in the proposed budget discussed at the public hearing.
Now, commissioners plan to fund the programs fully using State of Michigan funds from the FY24 General Omnibus budget.
The health department adds that this is not a boost to the county’s General Fund allocation to Public Health— the state voted to increase its contribution to local public health funding through the Essential Local Public Health Services block grant included in the state’s budget.
Ottawa County Public Health officials say the extra money was not intended to make up for budget reductions at the local level but instead to correct the chronic underfunding of public health.
"Those funds that will be allocated to us will go to the programs...whose budgets were cut in previous budgets proposed by the administrator," Hambley said.
Additionally, they say the state has not determined how much money will be allocated to each jurisdiction, nor has it set a distribution date.
"There is a general, kind of equation that the state uses to determine how much goes to each jurisdiction and it's pretty complex. It depends on population size and all these other things," Hambley explained. "I think the estimates that were used by fiscal services for those amounts were based on, kind of our ratio, what we get from the state amounts, for the funding before increased, so they're kind of making their best guess."
The Ottawa County Health Department says all other budget cuts to public health remain, including cuts to Health Education and Family Planning— programs that are mandated public health services.
FOX 17 learned Friday that Planned Parenthood of Michigan has been in contact with Ottawa County Public Health officials to explore family planning options if the proposed budget cuts go into effect, jeopardizing the county's programs and services, to assure continued care to Ottawa County community members.
READ MORE: Facing budget cuts, Ottawa health officials & Planned Parenthood explore options
The Finance and Administration Committee’s Budget Work Session is scheduled for Tuesday, September 19.
