Archuleta County Public Health Director Ashley Wilson recently discussed Public Health Department funding cuts during an Archuleta County Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) work session on Sept. 16, and during an Archuleta County Board of Health (BoH) meeting on Sept. 18, with news coming from the state in regard to an executive action taken by Gov. Jared Polis in response a billion dollar budget hole.
According to an Aug. 28 press release from Polis’ office, “Governor Polis signed a number of bills and took Executive Action to address the billion-dollar budget hole President Trump, and Representatives Gabe Evans, Jeff Hurd, Lauren Boebert, and Jeff Crank created through H.R.1. This law kicks millions of Americans off health care, makes it harder for Coloradans to access food, and slashed the state budget through tax breaks for massive corporations, forcing the Governor and legislature to take urgent action to balance the budget.”
During the Sept. 16 BoCC meeting, Wilson commented, “The one that impacts us is the reduction to local public health agencies, which is $3 million.”
She explained that this means her previously presented budget, which included a $41,000 deficit for the county, would now have a larger deficit.
“Given other cuts to specific programming, this cut is another $30,000,” she estimated.
Wilson explained funds being impacted in the county’s Public Health Department are the local planning and support dollars, which are the department’s most flexible dollars.
She also noted that environmental funds are being affected, which “not as movable.”
“So, the reduction of these funds is more difficult than the others because these are what cover all the other things,” she said.
Wilson commented that the department’s budget continues to be a “moving target.”
She explained that the BoH previously approved up to $45,000 to spend from the department’s reserves to cover the already-anticipated deficit, which is awaiting final approval by the BoCC.
“Things are just constantly moving for us,” she said.
Commissioner Warren Brown asked about the dollar amount in the department’s reserves and where those funds originally came from.
Wilson explained that the department’s reserve fund is around $240,000, which came from when San Juan Basin Public Health dissolved and assets were sold, as well as a surplus amount of around $20,000 from last year’s budget in planning and support dollars.
“My hope is we don’t have to go into reserves at all,” she said, explaining the department is still waiting for multiple other funding contracts to come in.
During the Sept. 18 BoH meeting, Wilson provided a similar update to the board, explaining that she is anticipating around a 15 percent reduction, “which is what is now on your new budget sheet.”
She explained those reductions include close to $4,000 reduction in environmental health funding and a reduction in local planning and support dollars from an original contract of $140,855 down to $118,319.
Wilson noted that the cuts could vary as those figures are based on initial estimates.
She also noted that the cuts to public health departments is “across the board” as every public health department that receives these funds is receiving the same percentage of funds being cut, regardless of the size of the department.
The Aug. 28 press release also states, “The Polis administration and legislature are doing everything possible to minimize the damage to Colorado communities by closing corporate tax loopholes, utilizing some rainy day funds, and making necessary cuts. Gov. Polis thanks the legislature for their hard work over the past week, and knows there is more work ahead. Congress may be able to blow up the national debt, but Colorado has a responsibility to balance our budget.”
The website also explains that Polis and the general assembly “took a three-pronged approach to close this budget hole.”
That includes bills passed during a special session to close corporate tax loopholes estimated to account for $250 million; a limited use of the general fund reserve totaling $325 million and current fiscal year spending reductions of $105 million and general fund transfers of $147 million, it explains.
clayton@pagosasun.com
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