The public-health director updated the Board of Commissioners on Nov. 3 about several grant changes and the impact on staff and services.

The director said the long-standing maternal-child health block grant, which in prior years provided about $67,500 to support a county nurse position, was effectively reduced and replaced with roughly $5,320 for the remainder of the year. She told commissioners the smaller amount is not sufficient to sustain the prior service level and that the department is pursuing additional funding from the Washington State Department of Health and other grants to avoid layoffs.

The director said the department received $200,000 through a public-health infrastructure grant (the FIG grant) to fund two positions and had applied for an additional $166,000 to extend that support through 2027. She said the department expects a difficult state legislative session, noting a $4 million to $20 million statewide shortfall in funds that will require allocations across jurisdictions.

Staff cautioned that reductions in tobacco- and vaping-related funding previously used for public-health allocations have contributed to the pressure and that the department is working with legislators to limit policy requests this session and prioritize budget items.

Commissioners and staff discussed available grants, program continuity and the need to make program-level decisions; the director said she will continue to meet with state staff and keep the board apprised of additional funding opportunities and proposed allocations.