West Olive, MI (WGHN) – Ottawa County Health Officer Adeline Hambley spoke with Good Morning Grand Haven.
Hear the interview below.
The Ottawa County Health Department budget creation is now in the hands of the Ottawa County Fiscal Services Department. County Administrator John Gibbs made the change yesterday after telling Health Officer Adeline Hambley to cut the budget by more than 60-percent.
Hambley says that cut will cause them to close within two months, which the County Commission called “patently false” and a “fear-mongering tactic.”
News Release from Hambley:
As of today, Ottawa County Fiscal Services is creating a new Public Health budget at the direction of Administrator John Gibbs, without input from leadership at the health department. Public Health has not been consulted about this budget, or provided with any information on the proposed budget or suggested cuts. Despite Hambley’s best efforts to inform and educate County Administration on the complexity of funding mechanisms and statutory program requirements of a local health department in Michigan, and her offers to discuss public health programs, funding, and legal requirements on numerous occasions, the Health Officer was not included in this process.
The Ottawa County general fund contribution to Public Health will be $3.8 million (of which $1.3 million is from Public Health Fund Balance). The County Administrative costs to Public Health will be subtracted from this $3.8 million budget ($1,664,989). Of note, the average County Administrative cost to Public Health for the period of 2009 to 2019 – the same period Public Health funding is being required to meet – was $328,789. Although Public Health is being expected to receive the average general fund contribution for the period of 2009 to 2019, Public Health is being expected to pay County Administrative costs of $1,664,989 in FY 2024. Any remaining eligible Public Health Fund Balance will be moved to the County Contingency Fund.
- The proposal from the Administrator demands cuts be made across all Public Health programs, while maintaining the required State of Michigan minimum maintenance of effort. While the budget requirements for the maintenance of effort may be met, cuts of this magnitude will not allow the health department to demonstrate adequate provision of required services.
- At this time, Hambley has met all requests by County Administration to the best of her ability, including providing four budget scenarios which outline the consequences of not meeting the State’s minimum requirements for all essential local public health services, such as food inspections; drinking water and sewage disposal permitting and inspecting; hearing and vision services for children, and communicable disease surveillance;
- To our knowledge, no other Ottawa County department has been asked to make reductions of any kind or are being required to utilize fund balance monies to meet their FY 2024 budget needs;
- To our knowledge, no other department has had a budget created for it by County adminstration without input from the department head or other leadership;
- County Administration has obstructed the department’s ability to communicate with the public and are using the health department’s platforms to communicate their own messages.
Press release from John Gibbs and Joe Moss can be found here.
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