OTTAWA COUNTY, Mich. — The Ottawa County Board approved its FY2024 budget after six and a half hours of discussion from public comment and board members. The contentious $264 million budget comes after significant cuts were made to Public Health.
Commissioner Doug Zylstra, Roger Bergman, and Jacob Bonnema voted no on the budget, while Rebekah Curran abstained, making the final vote 7-3.
FOX 17 asked several commissioners to comment on why they focused on cutting the health department's budget, and Commissioner Gretchen Cosby said, "COVID."
According to public health officials, the health department is now allocated $4.8 million from the general fund by utilizing $1.7 million of its rainy day funds.
Commissioners approved cuts to immunizations, health education, and communicable diseases.
Watch the entire meeting here:
"We did reduce the general funding contribution. And the good news is that the state of the state legislature in the budget increased county funding for the emergency local public health program, so we are going to get a larger grants amount this year. Therefore, we will be able to fund all three of these, that is, STIs, communicable disease, and immunization at the same level as requested," County Administrator John Gibbs told commissioners.
The health department explains to FOX 17 that the amounts the county is working with are an estimate and meant to provide funding to programs that have been traditionally underfunded.
"No budget can sustain a 50% cut and funding and staff and maintain services and programs at existing levels. So even though you don't want to say it out loud, you are in fact, cutting services to children and families through this action," Hambley added during public comment.
Seventeen employees from the department attended the meeting in hopes of saving programs and possible jobs.
"A chapter has ended. We've been worrying about this outcome for months now. And it's happened. So it's a bummer. But now it's final, we move forward with what we got," Ottawa County food inspector and union negotiator Tom Nieboer told FOX 17.
Chairperson and Commissioner Joe Moss told his board members that this is the second highest Public Health budget second to 2023 numbers.
"One thing that I would like to say is or maybe ask that is rhetorical is that has anyone pulled numbers out of hat? Commissioner [Roger] Bergman mentioned county general fund levels from 2009-2019, but failed to look at the total budget amount. General fund is important, but when you can reduce general fund allocation by using state grants and other monies, then you don't have to use the general fund," Moss added.
Commissioner Doug Zylstra motioned for several changes, including securing funding for three epidemiologists. A source tells FOX 17 that the budget only allocates enough money for two.
All of Zylstra's motions failed, with all Ottawa Impact commissioners, Curran and Commissioner Kyle Terperstra, opposing additional funding from the county's general fund.
Gibbs ignored our request for clarification on funding the third epidemiologist position. Commissioner and Finance Chair Cosby says it would come from the health department's overall budget of $14.3 million.
Moss had initially suggested that the general fund contribution be at $2.5 million and cut all COVID-19 grants at a Finance and Administration Committee meeting in August.
After the meeting, FOX17 tried to talk to Moss about his focus on cutting the health department to that level.
"Have a good night," he told FOX 17.
(1/2) We've been covering the Ottawa County budget for weeks. A lot of focus has been on the @miOCDPH proposed cuts. Today, commissioners moved foward with that decision. So, I brought the questions to @RealJoeMoss why the focus was on the health department. pic.twitter.com/S2C5Yze3yz
— Matt Witkos Reporter (@matt_witkos) September 27, 2023
Moss's initial suggestion sent a ripple effect, where Hambley took to social media to warn people these levels of cuts would shutter her department in weeks.
There have been several changes to the health department's budget since then. Hambley has warned that this budget could meet state funding requirements but might not meet the serviceable level required by the state.
Curran, whose main issue on the budget was funding for the Ottawa Food program, asked Corporate Counsel Attorney Jack Jordan and Gibbs if changes still check off all boxes required by the state in connection with the program.
"The interim health officer was involved in the process, and they provided information on the state requirements. So we have that information. Many of the state mandates are not exact. So it's not always clear on what the level is, I think that what we have in there now meets state mandates. So I'm confident in that so yes, we are meeting those," Gibbs replied.
Moss added to Gibbs's remarks that the county has over a million dollars in its contingency fund.
"So this budget that we will vote on, if it passes, it will be adjusted possibly in the next 30 days. The next 60 days, the next, it will be adjusted frequently throughout the next year," Moss added.
Gibbs released the following statement Wednesday:
“Ottawa County concludes the most transparent budget process in history, incorporating for the first time an easier-to-understand format, information on grants and payments, and additional work sessions for Commissioners and the public to engage in the process. The fiscally responsible budget includes the smallest year-over-year increase in general funding spending in more than half a decade, and fully funds critical programs such as Ottawa Food by giving the Department of Public Health the 2nd highest budget in its history.”
