Miami County commissioners on Thursday agreed not to reduce the health department's funding during the preliminary budget process and asked county staff to meet again with the department director for clarification after staff raised concerns about the loss of grant revenue.

The issue arose when staff warned that removing certain positions from the health department would likely reduce the county's ability to service and claim reimbursement from grants that together are worth around $200,000. Shane (staff member) said the county could "lose $200,000 worth of grants" if lab functions or staffing tied to pandemic-era funding were eliminated, and commissioners asked for more detailed, department-level analysis before approving cuts.

Why this matters: the health department's grant funding supports immunizations, maternal and child health programs, WIC services and the public-health laboratory. Removing staff funded by reimbursable grants can reduce the county's ability to perform and bill for those services, which could lower service availability for residents who rely on low-cost or Medicaid-funded care.

What was said: commissioners pressed for data on whether clients served by the health department are being doubly served by private providers, and whether the department's expanded services since the pandemic represent a permanent community gap. One commissioner said there was not enough evidence at the meeting to show a community gap: "I don't have enough information to say there's that gap that we need to continue to advance the services of our health department," the commissioner said. Staff emphasized that many grant funds are reimbursements tied to service delivery rather than upfront lump-sum payments.

Staff-level detail: Shane explained that some grants operate on a "turn and earn" reimbursement model rather than a one-time disbursement and that cutting the laboratory function or related positions could remove the county's ability to generate the reimbursable activity. Staff also noted that the health department had expanded from a smaller pre-pandemic complement to more than 12 positions currently when grant-funded positions are included.

Next steps: commissioners asked Lucas Mellinger to reengage the health department director Christina and requested a follow-up meeting and memo that detail which positions are grant-funded, the timing of those grants relative to the state fiscal year (July 1 '1 '1 - June 30), and the consequences of a reduction-in-force versus alternatives such as attrition or job realignment.

The commission recorded no formal vote to cut health department funding during the session.