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Health director warns spend‑down plan will limit levies; committee agrees to $300,000 recommendation
Summary
LaSalle County health director outlined a multi‑year spend‑down and said the department aims to preserve core public health functions; the committee voted to lower its levy recommendation to $300,000 while asking for regular monitoring and contingency reporting.
Chris, identified in the meeting as the health department lead, presented the department’s multi‑year spend‑down plan and urged caution about cutting the levy too far. He said the department had built reserves over recent years — in part because COVID grant funding temporarily reduced levy reliance — and now expects to spend down roughly $765,000 in the coming fiscal year while retaining a target of about one year of cash on hand (approximately $3.6 million).
Chris told the committee that core public health programs (groundwater protection, disease investigation and control, food protection, wastewater, community health education and related services) are required to maintain local health department certification and that approximately 40% of the department’s funding comes from grants. ‘‘Our current rate of our tax levy is 1.76 out of a possible 10¢,’’ Chris said, urging the committee to weigh service‑continuity risks against levy reductions.
Committee members agreed to recommend lowering the county’s levy allocation for the health department to $300,000 for now, with the expectation that the department will provide monthly or quarterly updates. Members noted the health board’s comfort level with a measured spend‑down but stressed the potential need for a levy increase if grants are reduced or expenses outpace projections.
Next steps: The health department will continue reporting to the committee; the committee asked staff to monitor grant changes and cash flow and to revisit the levy if conditions change.
