WEST OLIVE, Mich. — Ottawa County Commissioners are getting a look at the new proposed health department budget made by County Administrator John Gibbs and the fiscal services department.
On Tuesday, the health department showed that it plans to receive $5.8 million in general fund dollars with the help of its “rainy day” fund for FY24.
Health Officer Adeline Hambley says that 13 of 16 programs saw cuts; some were slashed more than half.
Hambley warns this $2 million budget cut to programs will put public health at risk.
Some programs that are seeing the most reduction include communicable diseases, family planning, health education, and immunizations.
"Today's version of the budget also reduces the Miles of Smiles dental program for uninsured children. And in some instances, you're literally taking services on the mouth children with these actions," Hambley said during public comment.
The breakdown was neither made public nor put in the meeting packet.
FOX 17 asked Gibbs for a copy of the new proposed budget, which he hopes to get down to near pre-pandemic levels.
"You'll be able to see it soon," Gibbs replied. We asked if he meant Tuesday or Wednesday— he said, "soon."
These budget changes come on the heels of Ottawa Impact Founder and Chairperson Joe Moss requesting county staff to cut the Public Health budget to pre-COVID levels and eliminate all COVID-19 grants.
Hambley pushed out a press release on their social media pages that this would shutter the health department in a matter of weeks if passed.
Days later, Ottawa County officials locked the health department out of those pages, where Moss and Gibbs sent a press release explaining her [Hambley] claims false and the public disclosure “inappropriate and unprofessional.”
The two added, “The County will not stand for any attempts by the Department of Public Health to cut essential programs unnecessarily, for political spectacle or media theatrics,” the press release read.
The health officer has told FOX 17 she stands by her judgment to warn the public of what might happen if the county moves forward.
While under this proposal, they did get more funding, Hambley explains, it was based on the 1993 Michigan formula to meet “Maintenance of Effort” by state law.
She warns that the health department might not meet the minimum service level requirement to meet Essential Local Public Health Services under Michigan law.
Hambley argues, “It is unlikely that the department will be able to meet the service requirements needed to retain Title X funding for Family Planning services. These services may then be transitioned to the nearest Title X provider, which is Planned Parenthood.”
FOX 17 asked Gibbs, along with Ottawa County Chairperson Joe Moss, for comment on the new proposed budget.
Both declined, instead citing the comments made at Tuesday's meeting— reiterating the desire to get public health funding below pandemic levels.
"So, the current budget that we're looking at, even with the adjustments that we made, is still 22% higher than the FY19 budget," Gibbs told commissioners. "This is going to have an impact on the county budget by reducing overall spending. And so, we are going to see savings in the general fund spend from the overall county budget."
Moss added to the discussion a timeline of events to create Ottawa County's Public Health budget.
"By no means in the last two weeks or last three weeks, or four weeks, has any budget finalized," Moss said. "And we still don't have one."
"So, that's good to hear," Hambley responded to Moss.
Commissioner Jacob Bonnema was removed as vice chair for the Finance and Administration Committe. He will be replaced by Commissioner Roger Belknap, decided by a 5-to-3 vote.
Bonnema was censured back in June after an HR complaint was filed against the county administrator.
READ MORE: Ottawa Co. commissioner looks to censure Republican colleague
READ MORE: Ottawa County votes to censure colleague following HR complaint against county administrator
The ensuing investigation determined the complaint did not meet levels of harassment.
Tuesday, Bonnema called his removal an act of retaliation for the complaint. However, Chairperson Moss states the change was not related to the censure, explaining committee members wanted a more trustworthy vice chair.
The county has a scheduled public hearing for September 12, and FY24 starts October 1.
