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LaSalle County behavioral health board urges cautious budgeting as federal cuts loom
Summary
Don Miscovich of the local 708 board told the Finance and Budget Committee the board added a $50,000 contingency and is preserving reserve levels because anticipated federal Medicaid and grant changes could reduce service funding for local mental‑health and IDD providers.
Don Miscovich, representing LaSalle County’s 708 board, told the county finance committee the board built its FY26 budget around ‘‘a year of unknowns’’ after federal funding shifts and potential Medicaid cuts. ‘‘We added a $50,000 request’’ to the budget as a contingency, Miscovich said, describing the funds as a short‑term cushion while the board and its 11 contracted agencies assess impacts.
Miscovich said the 708 board’s cash‑on‑hand stood at about $3.03 million but that timing of distributions and projected expenses would put the usable balance closer to $1.4 million. He described a longstanding policy goal of maintaining roughly six months of reserve to allow ‘‘planful’’ reductions if federal or state funding is reduced.
Committee members pressed the board to absorb the $50,000 from existing program line items rather than increase the levy. County member Craig Emmett and others suggested moving the supplemental request into an existing program line (account 860001) or using unspent program allocations. Miscovich said he would present that option to the 708 board at its next meeting, noting he could recommend eliminating the supplemental levy request and instead use program dollars if the committee preferred.
Finance committee members emphasized the board provides only a portion of agencies’ budgets and cannot realistically replace large federal cuts with local levies. The committee asked for ongoing updates and reporting from the 708 board on grant losses and client impacts so the county can reconsider support if agencies later show significant shortfalls.
Next steps: Miscovich said he would raise the committee’s preference with his board on its meeting on the fifth of the month and report back. The county requested monthly updates if grant reductions materialize.
