Hocking County health commissioner reviews programs, budget and names successor

Hocking County Health Commissioner Doug Fisher told the Board of Hocking County Commissioners on Jan. 8 that the county health department operates a roughly $5,000,000 annual budget, runs a range of nursing and environmental programs from immunizations and WIC to food-service inspections and septic-system repair programs, and will be led by administrator Jamie Carroll when he retires effective June 1.

Fisher said the department is a combined general health district governed by a separate Board of Health and largely funded through a 10-year operational levy. "We have about a $5,000,000 annual budget," Fisher said. He told the commissioners the levy was last renewed in 2018 and will be back before voters in 2028.

Why it matters: Fisher framed the department's finances and staffing as central to county public-health stability and emergency readiness. He warned of two public-health concerns the department is monitoring closely: reduced school-age immunization rates and an apparent increase in tick-borne diseases.

Fisher outlined core programs and staff. Emily Norris, director of nursing, oversees immunizations, tobacco-cessation programs, STD and TB surveillance and the department's WIC program. Kevin Smith is the environmental health director; Nikki Hankison is the WIC director; Chance Graham was identified as an…