HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 04-05-2011 - 4fORANGE CUUNTY
BOARD OF C4MM1SS14NERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: April 5, 2011
Action Agenda
Item No. --
SUBJECT: Resolution Supporting Public Health Funding through State Local Aid to County
DEPARTMENT: Health PUBLIC HEARING: ~YIN~ No
ATTACHMENT~S~: INFORMATION CONTACT:
Resolution Rosemary Summers, 245-2411
PURPOSE: Ta consider a resolution supporting public health funding through state Local Aid to
Gountyfunds.
BACKGROUND: The NC Division of Public Health provides federal pass-through and state
funds to local health departments for a variety of programs that are either mandated or optional.
With the exception of the Local Aid to County funds, all funds are categorical and restricted to
be spent in the program for which they are designated. Traditionally this has been and remains
a very small amount of funding, a total of $11.4 million statewide, with the first increases since
1912 allocated in 2408 and 2009. This is the only flexible funding provided by the state and is
intended to improve health at the local level by providing resources to address locally identified
gaps in services and community needs including infrastructure needs.
The NC Association of Local Health Directors and the Orange County. Board of Health approved
resolutions in March opposing cuts to Aid to County funds to local health departments, The
Board of Health is requesting that the Board of Commissioners consider approving a resolution
as well and take an active role in discussing this with the Orange County legislative delegation.
In addition to this resolution, the Board may wish to consider advocating for the following
revenue sources with the General Assembly:
1) Adopt the recommended user tobacco tax of $1 per pack (from the NC Alliance
for Health) which would offset future health expenditures and would increase
revenue that could be directed to local public health.
2) Allow local health departments to charge cost-based fees for public health
protection/safety in food and lodging establishments.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: Governor Beverly Perdue's budget recommended a ~60% reduction in
General Aid to County funds and a 100% reduction `rn environmental health Aid to County
funds. Recent discussions in the General Assembly have included eliminating all of this
funding. Grange County receives a total of $145,885 in General Aid to County funds and an
additional $4,444 in environmental health Aid to County funds. A 60°/° cut would mean a loss of
$63,531, The Governor's budget proposal would reduce the total state and federal allocation to
Grange County by 1~°/°. The County's typical state and federal allocation is $563,843.
Eliminating state funding in these categories would represent a 19.4% reduction in overall
funding by state and federal funds knot including Medicaid reimbursement}.
The Health Department utilizes the environmental health Aid to County funds in the operating
budget to help defray the costs of the on-site wastewater program. The General Aid to County
funds x$145,885} are used to support interpreter and language costs, the volunteer program,
and general administration, specifically the requirement for vital records verification and
processing.
RFC~MMENDATI~N~S~: The Manager recommends that the Board approve the attached
resolution and direct the Clerk to the Board to forward it to the Grange County legislative
delegation and to the Health and Human Services Committee Chairs for the General Assembly.
~kS-adll-~30
gRANGE CgUNTY BgARD qF CgUNTY CgMMISSIgNERS
RESgLUTI4N SUPPgRTING PUBLIC HEALTH FUNDING THRQUGH
STATE LgCAL AID-Tq-CgUNTY
WHEREAS, State funding for local public health services is small, only 0.3 °/a of the
total state budget, and these funds are extremely critical in the delivery of local public
health services; and
WHEREAS, State funding for local public health is provided through: ~1~ Aid to
County, ~2} Categorical funding and ~3} Contractslgrants for special projects; and
WHEREAS, Aid-to-County funding is the only non-cate orical funding allocated by the
state to Local health departments to assure the provision of essential public health
services; and
AS These funds are Intended to im rove health at the l,._ ,,
__ p , , ._, ,_ ocal level by providing
resources to address locally identified gaps in services and community needs and creating
the infrastructure necessary to effectively and efficiently respond to local needs; and
WHEREAS, local public health departments must be prepared with the infrastructure to
respond to known issues such as emergency preparedness, communicable diseases,
pandemic flu, childhood obesity, diabetes, infant mortality disparities, methamphetamine
lab clean-up, food safety and promoting the availability and accessibility of quality
healthcare services, as well as response to emerging needs; and
WHEREAS, local public health departments must be adequately funded to mobilize
communities to improve the health of those disproportionately impacted by disease and
early death, and reduce health risks for the entire population; and
WHEREAS, Governor Beverly Perdue's proposed budget calls for over a 60% reduction
in Aid to County funds (a reduction of $ 6. S million of the current $11.4 million funding
and elimination of all $400,000 Aid to County funding from Division of Environment
and Natural Resources);
N4W THEREFgRE BE IT RESULVED that the grange County Board of County
Commissioners opposes the cuts to Public Health Aid-to-County funding.
BE IT FURTHER RESgLVED that the Orange County Board of County
Commissioners supports increasing Aid to County funding far local public health
departments to assure a strong statewide system that is prepared to address local public
health needs.
This the 5~~ day of April 2011.
3
Bernadette Pelissier, Chair
grange County Board of Commissioners