McLean County health committee approves 2026 budgets, nursing-home plan and personnel reclassification; WIC operations continue

McLean County Board Health Committee members approved the county health department and nursing home recommended budgets for fiscal year 2026, voted to reclassify a registered nurse position at the juvenile detention center and renewed a veterans care agreement, the committee reported at its October meeting.

The budget approvals were the most substantial actions: the Health Department’s recommended 2026 budget totals $10,348,662, funded largely by property tax and grants, and the McLean County Nursing Home’s proposed 2026 budget totals $12,445,576, officials said. During discussion, administrators emphasized staffing and revenue assumptions that underlie the nursing-home budget and said the county-run facility is projecting an average daily census of 93 residents for 2026.

The budget presentations also included program-level detail. County Administrator Cassie Taylor and Health Department staff said the Health Department budget draws roughly 54% of revenues from general property tax and 31% from intergovernmental sources (including grants); license, permit and fee revenue accounts for about 5%. The county will use fund balance in some grant-supported funds, officials said. For grant-supported special funds, staff described combined programming for dental services, WIC, preventive health, family case management and communicable-disease work totaling roughly $3.2 million.

Jessica McKnight, Health Department administrator, told the committee that WIC clinics are operating normally despite the federal government shutdown: “business as usual,” she said, adding that individuals can still obtain and redeem WIC benefits.

Tim Wylie, nursing home administrator, described the nursing-home revenue mix and staffing plans. He said 64% of the facility’s revenue is expected from charges for service (including private pay and Medicaid), 27% from intergovernmental sources (Medicare, VA and state reimbursements) and 9% from transfers. Wylie said about 71% of the nursing-home budget is for salaries and benefits and that the 2026 budget assumes an average census of 93 residents per month, reached by combining partial-year assumptions for construction and a fuller census later in the year.

Wylie and committee members also noted a marked decline in use of temporary agency staff. The nursing-home presentation said agency staffing usage fell about 66% from the prior year, a change attributed to hiring, improved retention and staffing-model adjustments. “Our product is our people,” Wylie said, arguing that investments in staff and retention improve operations.

Other actions and items discussed: the committee approved a reclassification of a registered-nurse position at the Juvenile Detention Center to align pay and duties with comparable regional RN roles; and it approved a renewal of the county’s veterans care agreement with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, which staff described as a renewal of an existing agreement. No vote totals were recorded on the meeting transcript; motions were approved by voice vote.

Committee members asked staff questions during the Health Department presentation. Member Tompkins asked whether the county’s dental program is using newer sealant materials free of bisphenol A substances; McKnight said the line item titled “dental sealant grant” now covers broader children’s dental services and that staff will check which sealants are used and report back. Member Hansen asked about grant revenue timing for family case management and “Better Birth Outcomes,” and McKnight said some grants are recorded on different lines in the 2026 budget and that invoicing cadence can cause timing differences; she said quarterly monitoring showed no current concern about losing federal funding.

Administrative items: the consent agenda, including bills and transfers totaling $628,510.82, was approved on a voice vote. The committee noted the nursing home recently completed an annual survey with positive results. The committee set its next meeting for Tuesday, Nov. 24 at 4 p.m.

Votes at a glance: the consent agenda (bills totaling $628,510.82) — approved; juvenile detention registered-nurse reclassification (Fund 0135, FY2026 FTE resolution amendment) — approved (motion by Member Tompkins, second by Member Farley); renewal of the veterans care agreement with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs — approved (motion by Meghan Hopkins, second by Member Hansen); Tort Judgment Fund 01/1935 Department 77 FY2026 recommended budget for juvenile detention and jail medical programs — approved (motion by Member Hansen, second by Member Farley); Health Department FY2026 recommended budgets, including listed grant and levy funds (items B1–B8) — approved (motion by Member Farley, second by Member Hansen); Nursing Home Fund 0401 FY2026 recommended budget and programs (C1–C8) — approved (motion by Member Tompkins, second by Member Hansen).

The meeting transcript records voice votes and procedural motions; the committee did not record roll-call tallies in the provided transcript. The meeting adjourned with no additional action.