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Franklin health staff say required 5% citywide cut would force $45,000 amid efforts to preserve immunization clinics
Summary
Franklin Health Department staff told the Board of Health Oct. 13 that a city-wide 5% operating reduction requires cutting $42,000–$45,000 from the department’s nonpersonnel budget, with staff prioritizing retention of full-time employees and seeking partnerships to preserve flu and immunization clinics.
Franklin — Health department staff told the Franklin Board of Health Oct. 13 that a newly announced city requirement to reduce operating budgets by 5% will require cutting roughly $2,890 from the department’s total operating budget figures per day of the fiscal timeline — an overall reduction that translated to about $42,000–$45,000 from a roughly $68,000 nonpersonnel operating budget.
Staff reported they submitted a proposal to meet the required reduction without cutting any full-time positions and instead proposed removing $42,000–$45,000 from the medical supplies line used to prepay vaccines for flu and other immunization clinics. “That budget allows us to pay upfront for vaccine that then we use for the flu clinics and other immunization clinics throughout the year,” a presenter said, noting that the proposal relies on partnerships with local pharmacies and community organizations to keep clinics staffed if supply-ordering authority is reduced.
Department staff described the decision as difficult and said cutting supplies rather than personnel was chosen to preserve the department’s statutory responsibilities and core functions. The department emphasized the community’s high demand for its immunization clinics — staff said Franklin hosts one of the most highly attended suburban immunization clinics in the region — and noted that cutting vaccine ordering could jeopardize the department’s ability to pre-order and stock vaccines for the 2026 season.
Staff also said the department submitted its revised budget proposal to the city with the required adjustment and expected the mayor’s recommended budget to reflect those changes in November; the department had not yet received formal feedback on the submission as of Oct. 13.
What’s next: The mayor’s finalized recommended budget is expected in November. Department staff said they will continue to pursue partnerships and alternatives for clinic staffing and vaccine access and that they hoped to maintain immunization clinic capacity despite the proposed supply-line cuts.
