Candidates emphasize public health readiness for H5N1, norovirus and growing mental-health needs

Public health — both communicable-disease readiness and rising mental-health and suicide rates — drew detailed attention at the Winnebago County Executive forum.

Candidates urged stronger support for the county public health department and better public communication. Gordon Hintz said an administration should "back their public health department" and prioritize evidence-based policies, noting tensions that can arise when public-health powers are debated. Damel highlighted agricultural and household risks from H5N1 and called for outreach to farmers and residents who keep chickens. "You gotta know what to look for," he said about H5N1 awareness.

Candidates also discussed norovirus, seasonal outbreaks, and the role of education and schools in prevention. Motts emphasized public education and tying 911 dispatch to mental-health resources, describing a state-level computer-aided dispatch tool to route appropriate calls to 988 or mental-health services when a nonpolice response is appropriate. "We're the first department in the state to do that," Motts said.

All three candidates described steps to address rising suicides and the mental-health crisis. Damel pointed to same-day counseling, a State Street drop-in center and crisis response teams embedded with the medical examiner to support families after overdoses or suicides. He also noted the availability of gun locks at county offices to reduce means of suicide. Motts described increased jail mental-health counseling hours and proactive outreach through 911 and 988 integration. Hintz emphasized following best practices and directing resources to the most vulnerable.

Candidates agreed that public-health leadership, prevention, and rapid access to care are priorities but left budget and program expansion decisions for future budget processes.