Tri‑County health director warns of staffing and federal‑funding cliff in annual report

Kirk Bench, director of the health department, told the Duchesne County Commission on March 24 that the department is operating with a reduced workforce and faces fiscal pressure if federal funding levels change.

Bench opened his annual report by noting the department is created by an interlocal agreement between three counties and that most revenue is federal grants passed through the state, with charges for services and some state grants making up the remainder. "The bulk of our revenue is still federal grants that are passed through from the state of Utah," he said.

Bench said the health department has been limiting rehiring since 2024 and is "at our lowest total number of employees since I came in 2021." He warned that while many federal contracts are on staggered five‑year terms, COVID‑response funds are scheduled to end in 2026–27, creating a longer‑term fiscal cliff the department is preparing for. "That's a little bit more of a fiscal cliff on our end," Bench said.

The director cited service volumes that officials say could be affected if funding declines. He reported the department served about 3,500 WIC clients last year and performed more than 500 inspections across restaurants, tattoo parlors, cosmetology businesses and on‑site wastewater systems. Bench also described public‑health initiatives in schools, including a tobacco‑prevention scholarship program now administered by the Foundation for Healthy Communities of Northeastern Utah; he disclosed he serves on that foundation's board.

Bench stressed three persistent problems in the Tri‑County area: unintentional injuries (including overdoses), suicide and teen pregnancy. "We had the highest rate of drug overdoses in 2022 in the area," he said, and he added the department has one of the highest suicide rates among comparable health departments for 2021–2023. To respond, the department offers QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) suicide‑prevention training, Narcan training, syringe‑exchange services and school programs meant to reduce teen pregnancy and risky behavior.

Commissioners asked about the utilization of the 988 crisis line and which programs rely most heavily on federal support; Bench said vaccination services for uninsured adults and children and suicide‑prevention outreach are particularly funding‑sensitive. He asked county leaders to advocate for federal funds to be passed to local agencies with minimal additional administrative barriers. "If we're going to be reevaluating the role of FDA and CDC, I would love to see that more federal funding actually make it down to the local level," Bench said.

The department also flagged a technical planning effort: the state geologic survey completed maps for western Duchesne County showing likely drinking‑water availability and areas where deeper trench wastewater systems could be installed safely—work Bench said may lower development costs for property owners. Commissioners were told to expect an update on that mapping later in the week.

Bench closed by asking commissioners to remain engaged and to contact the department with concerns. He said the department will continue adjusting as federal funding landscapes change, but expressed concern about sustaining prevention and investigative programs if major grants are not renewed.