The Courier of Montgomery County reports the Montgomery County Public Health District will receive $50,000 monthly from Montgomery County Commissioners following the federal funding ending for the health district in 2022.
On Monday, county officials passed along during a special meeting that the funding won’t begin until late in 2024 following the health district’s draw down of its $3.7 million in reserves to $3 million.
The county has provided funds to the health district of $90,000 a year since 2010.
Precinct #1 Commissioner Robert Walker offered a suggestion that the county give the health district $50,000 a month to aid in the health district’s annual expenses of around $600,000 a year.
It was back in 2022, when the funding issue started, when it was voted by the health district board to begin moving over the management of the Montgomery County Public Health District from the Montgomery County Hospital District to the county.
What would happen to the district was in the hands of the county, because since federal funding ended the hospital district was not able to make use of public tax money to provide support for public health because of a 2010 agreement.
The public health board outlined the responsibilities of a transition manager in November that was undertaken by the executive director of the county’s office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, Jason Millsaps.
The transition stalled between the three parties involved, with the agreement between the hospital district and health district having an end date of September 30th.
During Monday’s meeting, commissioners passed along that they did not want to participate directly in the “health business” and felt that the hospital district should carry on its management of the public health district instead of them.
CEO of the hospital district Randy Johnson said, “I think our board feels they can do an efficient job of taking care of the public health district.”
Commissioners commented they wanted the agreement to move ahead so public health services would be ensured.
Mr. Johnson said he would get together with the hospital and health district boards to come up with a three-part agreement, with the county providing funding in the future. He expected the boards to get together later this month.
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