Albany County Health Department seeks to shore up public-health workforce, prepares JUUL settlement spending and lead program transition
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Summary
Health officials told legislators they are rebuilding public health infrastructure after COVID-era turnover, pursuing non-governmental grants, implementing a multi-year JUUL settlement allocation, and continuing lead-prevention work while noting heavy reliance on fragile federal and state funding.
Deputy Commissioner Tricia Bellotto presented the Albany County Health Department’s 2026 budget framework, focusing on restoring public-health infrastructure, staffing, and preparation for potential cuts in federal funding.
Bellotto said just over half of the department’s budget and nearly all positions are supported by federal and state funding, a reliance she called “precarious and tentative.” She said the department is prioritizing core public-health activities and conducting grant research to locate nongovernmental funding that aligns with departmental missions.
The department plans to use JUUL settlement funds allocated by the New York State Attorney General’s office over the next five years for school- and youth-based programs, public education campaigns, college outreach and retailer education. Bellotto said the settlement money has been broken into ‘‘buckets’’ for evidence-based education, prevention and cessation programming.
On lead prevention, Bellotto noted that several lead grants have concluded; the department used earlier grant funding to reimburse landlords for remediation work and will shift to a different strategy under state guidance for the lead rental registry and related programs. Equipment and fee-for-service lines decreased in the proposed budget because some grants ended and purchased equipment is nonconsumable.
Bellotto also highlighted a recent nursing salary adjustment approved by the legislature that led to immediate hiring results: four new nurses were recruited and two more candidates were in process. The health department said it will use a public-health workforce survey to inform a multi-year strategic plan and launched leadership and mentorship programs to aid retention.
Legislators asked about a personnel assistant position reclassification and about wellness stipends and how they will be administered; Bellotto said the personnel assistant title change was a retention measure, and that wellness stipends are grant-funded and not tracked to the level of individual gym visits but distributed as a stipend for eligible wellness-related expenses.
Bellotto warned that federal funding cuts would hinder mandated services and said the department is categorizing essential activities so it can quickly triage and prioritize should cuts occur.
