Hays County to cover lost state COVID grants temporarily to retain health department staff
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Summary
After the state terminated two COVID-related public-health grants effective March 24, commissioners agreed to use Local Assistance and Tobacco Settlement funds and salary savings to preserve positions including an epidemiologist and outreach specialists while county staff pursue alternative funding.
Hays County commissioners on April 8 agreed to temporarily fund key Hays County Health Department positions after the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) notified the county that two COVID-era grants would be cancelled effective March 24.
Health Department Director Matthew Gonzales told the court the cancellations affect an epidemiologist (Epi/ELC) position and two community outreach specialists funded through health-disparities grants. Gonzales said the grants’ termination leaves a shortfall for staff who perform disease investigations, immunizations, behavioral-health linkages and community outreach.
“Those positions were doing more than COVID work,” Gonzales said. “They expanded our capacity for case investigation, immunizations and community outreach that protect residents.” Gonzales said the termination letters were dated March 25 with an effective cancellation date of March 24.
Chief Budget Officer Jonathan Blanco presented local funding options the court could use to prevent immediate layoffs. Blanco said staff had identified salary savings within the health department operations and noted two discretionary county funds the court could use if needed: the Local Assistance and Tribal Consistency Fund (LATCF), with approximately $80,000 available, and the county’s tobacco-settlement funds, about $130,000 available and currently unrestricted.
Gonzales said the department is also seeking to amend other active grants where permissible, pursuing federal and state funding alternatives and preparing a budget plan to avoid recurring reliance on one-time funds. He noted a temporary restraining order had been filed in related litigation over state grant cancellations but the county cannot rely solely on that outcome.
The court voted unanimously to authorize use of salary savings first and to tap LATCF and tobacco-settlement funds if necessary to preserve the positions while staff pursue alternative grant funding. Commissioners praised the health department’s expanded services since 2021 and said they were committed to maintaining local public-health capacity.
The public heard a related proclamation recognizing National Public Health Week and multiple local public-health students and health-department staff described recent public-health work, including immunizations, case investigations and community partnerships. Gonzales told the court the department processed more than 57,009 9-1-1-related calls and over 180,000 calls for service across fire, police and EMS in the fiscal year cited; he also cited recent counts for reportable disease investigations, immunization appointments and STD/HIV treatments.
The vote to authorize temporary county funding and budget amendments passed unanimously.