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Health department warns of program cuts after state funding drops; council approves one position pay increase
Summary
Lake County Health Department reported a large reduction in state public health funding and won approval to raise a Health First Indiana project manager’s salary, while staff said broader program reductions are likely.
The Lake County Health Department told the council on Thursday it expects a substantial reduction in state public-health funding and that the department will cut planned hires and subawards in response.
The council approved a revision moving one Health First Indiana project manager position from a $57,750 salary to $72,100, a change the department said had been arranged before the current health director’s tenure. The motion passed 7-0.
During discussion, the health director said the department “took a big gut punch” when state funding fell from roughly $9 million to about $2.5 million, and said that immediate program changes will follow. “We had about six positions planned to hire this year to meet our maternal and child health KPI. We’re going to eliminate that entire program,” the department representative told the council.
Council members asked for the job description and key performance indicators for the project manager post; the health director said she would provide the job description and noted the employee has taken on responsibilities beyond the original project-manager role, including partner relations, budgeting, reporting and data analysis.
The department said it will reduce subawards to local partners—approximately $4–5 million in prior years—and will explore cross-training and other internal adjustments. The council approved the salary revision after receiving those explanations.
