County proclaims Mental Health Month as Pawnee Mental Health requests 10% funding increase

Cloud County commissioners unanimously approved a proclamation declaring May 2026 as Mental Health Month after a presentation from Pawnee Mental Health on service levels and local funding needs.

Peggi Barrett, Cloud County’s representative to the Pawnee Mental Health board, presented the proclamation and the board approved it on a unanimous vote. Mike Rezkalla, chief executive officer of Pawnee Mental Health, gave the board a service update: Pawnee provided services to 1,060 duplicate Cloud County residents across its programs, representing 426 unduplicated clients; 30 clients were listed as engaged and 77 received crisis services during the period discussed. The agency reported $1,897,728 in services delivered to Cloud County residents and $159,191 in uncompensated services attributed to lack of insurance or underinsurance.

Rezkalla requested a 10% increase in Cloud County funding for the agency’s 2027 year, asking the board to raise its contribution to $96,019. The presentation included comparative county metrics: Cloud County ranked 29th of 105 counties for per-capita funding and 33rd in the state for the percentage of county budget devoted to Pawnee services; the agency reported spending about $10.95 per county resident and $187.32 per resident served.

Commissioners did not take an immediate funding vote on Rezkalla’s request during this meeting; they approved the proclamation and accepted the agency’s report for the record.