Elizabeth Balatta, executive director of the Will County Health Department, asked the county Finance Committee during public comment for $1,000,000 in county funding to retain core public‑health positions whose grant or ARPA funding is ending.

Balatta said the department provides local delivery of environmental health, communicable‑disease and maternal‑child services and that recent grant reductions threaten the department’s ability to maintain current service levels. “I am here respectfully presenting again a request for additional funding for the health department to retain several core public health positions,” Balatta told the committee.

The request matters, speakers said, because reductions would affect day‑to‑day services including school and home immunization clinics, HIV and STI prevention, and maternal‑child case management. Sylvia Muniz, director of the Family Health Services Division, said the immunization program now has eight staffers and that, when ARPA funding expires, the department will lose two registered nurses, a manager and a clerk — roughly half the immunization team. “This will create a reduction in services and impact the community,” Muniz said, adding the homebound immunization program conducted 100 home visits and administered 249 shots in 2024 and that the department served about 3,800 clients across three locations that year.

Denise Bergen, assistant executive director, told the committee the department’s levy allocation has been effectively flat for years and that grant awards have been reduced; she said the department requested additional support to retain 11 positions across four core public‑health programs. “Based on these challenges, we submitted a request for additional support of $1,000,000 to ensure that our public‑health safety net endures,” Bergen said.

Other public commenters — including registered nurses, board of health members and clinicians who said they see the county’s safety net in daily practice — urged the committee to preserve the positions. Kaprenta Merrick, the HIV and STI program manager, said her staff perform outreach and case‑management work that would be difficult to restart if cut. “If we close that door to those who have sought our services, we’re just gonna open a whole another Pandora’s box,” Merrick said.

Pam Robbins and Jody Falica, nurses who spoke from clinical and outreach roles, described individual cases where health‑department services filled gaps after patients lost insurance or access to care. Dr. Silvio Morales, an emergency physician and member of the county Board of Health, and other board members emphasized the department’s role in preparing for outbreaks and responding to maternal‑health disparities.

Committee staff told members the public comments will be considered as the finance process continues: the committee and county executive’s office will incorporate department requests and the board will vote on appropriations in coming budget steps. The health department materials submitted to the committee included a Board of Health letter of support, the department’s 2024 annual report and an impact statement.

The committee did not take a formal vote on the request during the meeting; the funding request will be considered as part of the broader fiscal‑year budgeting and levy process in the weeks ahead.