Minneapolis Health Department presents 2026 budget; warns of federal funding risk, one school‑clinic FTE cut

Minneapolis Health Department Commissioner Damone Chaplin presented the department’s portion of the mayor’s recommended 2026 budget to the Minneapolis City Budget Committee on Oct. 20, outlining ongoing program work, staffing levels and funding risks tied to federal and state grants.

Chaplin said the department’s combined grants and general‑fund budget in the recommendation is about $46,000,000 and listed a 2026 total of 171.5 full‑time equivalent positions. He described program increases funded by new grants, investments in infrastructure and continuing work across environmental health, lead mitigation, school‑based clinics, the medical mobile unit and opioid response efforts. Chaplin also told the committee that some positions are on hold pending funding decisions and that the department faces “contingency planning” if federal funds decline.

The commissioner placed emphasis on equity and the department’s five community health priorities: chronic stress among caregivers, infectious disease prevention and control, substance use disorder and mental health, and access to services for people experiencing homelessness and for maternal/infant health. He said school‑based clinics completed 100% of mental‑health screenings and recorded more than 2,800 mental‑health visits during the year. The Lead and Healthy Homes program reported more than 1,000 preventive home interventions and a 26% reduction in lead poisoning through 2025, Chaplin said.

Chaplin described environmental programs that manage inspections and ordinances and estimated greenhouse gas reductions from city programs, and he highlighted the department’s medical mobile unit (MMU), which the presentation said has reached more than 750 community members and attended 16 events in 2025, providing direct care to more than 100 people. He said syringe‑abatement and naloxone distribution work continues: the presentation cited roughly 2,600 syringes collected through requests, sweeps and kiosks and distribution of nasal naloxone through vending machines and the MMU.

Council members pressed the commissioner on staffing and fund‑reduction impacts. Council Member Jacob Palmasano asked about the 1.0 FTE reduction in school‑based mental‑health counseling. Chaplin said the administration is working to “salvage” that FTE through other means and is pursuing contingency plans with the mayor’s office, human resources and legal counsel if grant revenue declines. Chair Aisha Chugtai and Vice Chair Koski asked for memos with program‑level details on contractual reductions and special‑revenue increases; Chaplin agreed to provide written follow‑up.

Chaplin said the department’s proposed 2% reduction target was achieved largely through cuts to contractual services to preserve personnel. He noted that 4.8 FTEs are on hold because of funding considerations, three FTEs are in active hiring, and two positions were inactivated and will not be backfilled. He identified a reliance on federal and state grants as a risk and described an internal contingency team that would coordinate responses if grants are reduced.

The committee heard additional program specifics, including inspection and food‑safety results (reported reductions in violations among participating businesses), public‑health preparedness activities, vaccination clinics and youth programming metrics. Chaplin closed by opening the presentation to committee questions; the clerk was asked to file the presentation.

The presentation concluded with committee requests for written follow‑up on the programs most vulnerable to the contractual‑services reductions and for additional detail on special‑revenue increases shown in the budget book.