Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Public health requests added nurse, cites rising caseloads and TB costs
Loading...
Summary
Johnson County Public Health presented its proposed FY2026 budget asking for an additional public-health nurse and continued ARPA-funded positions, citing increased WIC caseloads, rising tuberculosis costs and new grant opportunities that expand service demand.
Johnson County Public Health presented a proposed fiscal 2026 budget on Jan. 28 that requests one additional public-health nurse and seeks to sustain ARPA-funded positions while noting rising caseloads and increasing costs for communicable-disease work.
Public Health Director Daniel said the department is targeting a modest reduction in levy reliance (from about 53.45% this fiscal year to 50.8% next year) while seeking additional staff to maintain service capacity. The department reported an almost 15% increase in active WIC participants and a roughly 27% increase in lead tests over the last year.
Daniel told supervisors that tuberculosis-related costs have risen sharply: the department’s TB spending increased from roughly $27,000 to about $47,500 in one year. He said active TB cases require intensive follow-up — direct observed therapy often lasts six months — and state reimbursement of $900 per case does not fully cover local costs.
The department anticipates total expenses of about $7.3 million for FY2026, with salary and fringe making up the largest share. Public Health listed anticipated revenues and funding sources including grants and awards (about $2.7 million), Medicaid/Title XIX reimbursements (about $500,000), license and fee revenue (roughly $400,000) and a county tax levy contribution the department characterized as approximately $3.7 million; staff said figures are subject to final reconciliation.
Public Health highlighted several program changes and grant opportunities: a proposed OD2AS subcontract with Abbey Health, expansion of SPOTS (integrated testing and outreach) coverage, added clinic capacity to serve more Medicaid clients, and an ARPA-funded community-violence intervention outreach position that will begin interviews soon. The department also plans continued use of student and volunteer resources (including public-health students) to reduce costs.
Daniel and supervisors agreed to keep the board updated as state-level changes (including ASO implementation) evolve. No formal budget vote was taken during the work session.
