Ottawa County is looking to allocate more money to family planning. This comes days after FOX 17 told you that proposed cuts could lead to potential services through Planned Parenthood.
"It looks like the general fund contribution is being increased so that family planning is being funded at the budget amount we requested at the beginning of the budget process," Health Officer Adeline Hambley said.
Ottawa County's latest budget earmarked just over a million dollars for family planning. Hambley says it's up $200,000 compared to the one County Administrator John Gibbs presented earlier this month.
"In October, if we had the significant cuts that were initially proposed, we wouldn't necessarily be able to operate. Or if we did, it'd be significantly reduced, in which case, we need to make sure that those people still have somewhere they can go for their services," Hambley said.
Last week, FOX 17 learned that the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services introduced Planned Parenthood to Ottawa County Public Health.
"It was MDHHS that provided the connection between us and the other Title X service provider in the area, which is Planned Parenthood in Kent County. That's where our patients that our Title X patients would be referred to if we no longer have the program," Hambley said.
Ottawa County Health is now getting a boost in funding. This new draft shows about $4.8 million in general fund contribution, up from the August version of $2.5 million. Hambley says that despite the additional money, there are still cuts to state-mandated departments.
"So we've got, you've got your have to haves, which are mandated in law. So that's like our STDs, communicable diseases, immunizations, epi (epidemiologist), family planning, health promotions, and nutrition. That's all like enshrined in law," Hambley added.
She explains at the beginning of this budgeting process, health education and nutrition were combined into one program. She says this budget is nearly half of her initial request.
According to county documents, a few of those mandates Hambley mentioned are getting more funding, just less than half a million, thanks to the state. Health education wasn't one of them.
"That is an attempt to try and make up budget shortfalls for chronic underfunding for public health," Hambley said. "So we don't know the exact amounts, and then the agreements for those amounts haven't been provided either until they determine the exact amount each jurisdiction," Hambley added.
With this new proposed budget, they're looking at cutting one epidemiologist. A person who warns about possible outbreaks here in Ottawa County.
"You start reducing that the surveillance component of illness investigation or illness, reports of illness, and you're going to be slower, which means more people potentially being exposed to health threat or getting sick," Hambley said.
The health department explains the budget is also using $1.7 million in its rainy day funds to make up for shortfalls.
"It will be like zero. As far as I understand it," Hambley said.
FOX 17 did reach out to the county to learn about these changes, but we have yet to hear back. The Finance and Administration Committee is scheduled to look at these changes. The county board is scheduled to vote on a finalized budget in over a week.
