Delaware County Health Department reports $1.6 million in outstanding invoices as state budget delay continues

The Delaware County Board of Health heard on Sept. 24 that the Health Department closed fiscal year 2025 with about $12.4 million in expenditures and roughly $10.4 million in revenue, while about $1.6 million in invoicing remained outstanding, Director Laura said. The county contribution for the department’s budget was reported as approximately $2.1 million. The department said state- and federal-level budget and policy developments could affect cash flow and vaccine availability for county programs.

The details mattered because the Pennsylvania state budget was still pending at the time of the meeting, and the department said it was “carefully trying to husband as many resources as we can,” Laura told the board. She said outstanding invoices—primarily grant-related claims—were being processed and that the department continued to pursue reimbursement and carryover where appropriate. The board voted at the start of the meeting to approve minutes from the previous session; no other formal fiscal action was taken at this meeting.

The director also briefed the board on preparations for respiratory-illness season and forthcoming immunization guidance. She said the federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) had met and that changes were expected to trickle down to local operations, including how certain combined pediatric vaccines will be handled by the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program. The department said it had not yet received formal guidance from the Pennsylvania Department of Health but was anticipating changes that could affect which vaccines the department can provide free at community events.

Laura said the county will conduct community-based flu vaccination efforts this season and will not stock private COVID-19 vaccine doses for broad community events; COVID vaccines will be available through federal programs such as the VFC and other clinical channels. She also noted that Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro had announced participation in a Northeast state collaboration on health, which could influence vaccine access policies for Medicaid clients, though the local implications remained under discussion.

Staff and board members raised concerns about the combined effects of a delayed state budget and potential federal funding interruptions; the director said federal grant reimbursements and state allocations were among the factors contributing to ongoing cash-flow uncertainties. The department did not propose new budget increases or changes at the meeting, and no motions to modify funding were introduced.

The director used recent county events—the department’s September prostate cancer screening with Jefferson Health and a Rally for Recovery in Sharon Hill—to illustrate how program work connects to the county’s Community Health Improvement Plan. Those events were presented as ongoing program activity rather than new expenditures requiring board approval.

Looking ahead, the board was reminded that the county’s calendar and three board-seat nominations must be processed at the December meeting. The department said it will continue monitoring state and federal guidance and report back as concrete policy or funding changes are received.