Interim health administrator outlines Health First budget cuts, urges new administrator pay review

Melissa, the interim health administrator, told the council the department trimmed county fund spending by about $2,082 versus last year despite a steep cut in its Health First Indiana allocation. The state Health First award dropped substantially for 2026, so Melissa said the department is relying on a combination of 2024 carryover dollars, the local health trust and reduced program spending to preserve services. She described a redistribution strategy: move some administrative costs to county general to keep program dollars (child health, chronic disease, immunizations, Open Door clinic) intact, move one half of Open Door Clinic support back to the county fund to preserve the clinic’s ability to treat residents without documentation, and continue targeted grant spending for community health partners. Melissa stressed that Health First funds now carry stricter eligibility rules (services must generally go to people with legal documentation), so county support is needed to serve people who would otherwise fall out of the safety net. Melissa also told the council the health department will continue to collect vaccine revenue and build immunization program budgets into program lines to better measure fees and service sustainability. On leadership pay and job classification, Melissa and several commissioners urged the council to consider raising the posted pay level for the health administrator position above the midpoint used in the county salary survey because the department’s responsibilities and revenue have grown substantially since the survey was conducted and the prior administrator’s salary had previously been above midpoint. The council agreed to review the classification committee’s work and discuss administrator salary and job band before posting or finalizing the position. Ending: The council accepted the departmental budget adjustments into the draft budgets and instructed staff to continue the administrator‑salary discussion at an upcoming meeting; Melissa said she expects more details on carryover and grants in time for the next budget reading.