Pinellas health department seeks modest budget increase while planning relocation for clinic services

The Florida Department of Health in Pinellas County presented a fiscal 2026 budget request of about $12.6 million — a net increase of roughly $117,760, or less than 1% over the adopted FY25 budget — while outlining plans to relocate the county’s busiest clinic in St. Petersburg.

County staff said the health department fund is separate from the county general fund and is supported by ad valorem revenue, excess tax-collector fees and interest earnings. Tony Merrill, county staff, told commissioners that budgeted ad valorem revenue is expected to decline about $452,000 (roughly 4.9%), while interest earnings and tax-collector revenue are expected to rise modestly.

The budget keeps operating spending (excluding reserves) lower than FY25 — roughly $8.5 million — and preserves fund reserves of about $4.1 million for FY26. Dr. Cho, the Pinellas County health officer, told the board the department provides more than 1.1 million services annually and runs a robust clinical line for sexually transmitted disease testing and treatment; he said Pinellas led the state in STD treatments among the 67 local health departments for the past two years.

The department highlighted program priorities tied to the county’s community health assessment: mental health, substance use disorder, access to care and health promotion. Dr. Cho also said the department distributed more than 2,700 naloxone kits through opioid-overdose-prevention work and continues to offer medication-assisted treatment through its Health Care for the Homeless program. School-health nursing remains a major service line: the department said roughly 22% of core-contract clinical funds go to school health nursing and that the department supplies about 40 LPNs to contracted schools.

Commissioners pressed staff about plans for the St. Petersburg clinical site, which the department says is no longer optimally located for its client base as downtown high-rise housing replaces older neighborhoods. Dr. Cho and county staff said they have engaged CBRE to do a space-needs assessment and are finalizing the scope of work; the department has been carrying capital reserves for roof repairs and other maintenance and would consider moving funds to capital reserves for a relocation. Staff estimated a multi-year timeline for finding and building appropriate replacement space and noted roofing and moisture-intrusion work would continue at the current Clearwater and mid-county sites during the transition.

Commissioners asked for more detail on the school-nurse program and whether county millage adjustments remain necessary. Dr. Cho said the county’s contribution helped maintain nursing coverage during the pandemic but that industrywide nursing shortages have made full-time coverage at every school challenging; he said continuing local funding would help preserve access. Merrill said the health department does not propose user-fee changes or capital projects for FY26 aside from routine repairs and a planned space-needs assessment estimated at about $115,000.

The presentation concluded with staff noting the health department carries out special-needs sheltering in large storms and that clinic and shelter operations are a significant part of the department’s emergency preparedness work. Commissioners did not take a vote on any policy change at the meeting; staff said they would return with the results of the space-needs work and any formal relocation recommendations.