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Bourbon County health officer asks commissioners for 3% funding increase, details service volumes
Summary
Becky Johnson, administrator of the SCK Multi-County Health Department and Bourbon County local health officer, requested a 3% increase in county funding for fiscal year 2026 and summarized the department’s 2024 service volumes and new projects.
Becky Johnson, administrator of the SCK Multi‑County Health Department and Bourbon County local health officer, asked the Bourbon County Commission on the record for a 3% increase in county funding for the upcoming year to “account for inflation and rising operational costs.”
The request, submitted during the commission’s meeting, accompanies a shortened annual report Johnson provided to commissioners. She told the commission the requested total for Bourbon County is $93,473 and described the department’s 2024 activity levels: 362 disease investigations, 795 immunizations, 3,750 WIC appointments, 140 home visits and 1,349 people reached through outreach. “Your home visiting service is the best in the state of Kansas,” Johnson said, referring to a recent Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) report she cited.
Johnson also outlined new and ongoing projects. She described a breast‑milk donor depot the department started in August 2024 that receives frozen donations, screens them, and routes them to regional hospitals. She said the department conducted tick‑borne disease prevention work and launched a safe‑sleep baby‑shower grant from KDHE that will provide education and a pack‑and‑play for participating families. Johnson said the department has car‑seat safety trainers and a breastfeeding coalition whose membership has more than quadrupled since September.
Commissioners did not make a funding decision at the meeting. One commissioner said they would review the request during the county’s upcoming budget season; no motion or vote on the funding request occurred during this session.
Why it matters: The county’s operating budget and any increase could affect how the health department maintains immunization, maternal‑child and emergency‑preparedness services. Johnson emphasized the increase is intended to preserve existing service levels amid rising costs.
What’s next: Johnson left printed copies of the report and budgets with the clerk. Commissioners said they would review the request as the county enters its budget‑preparation timeline.
