Marquette County board forwards resolution asking state for sustained public-health funding

Marquette County's Board of Health voted to forward a resolution asking the state to provide more stable, flexible funding for local public-health departments.

Jamie (health officer) read the resolution to board members, saying the proposal would "provide increased general purpose revenue or GPR to support local public health departments" and include automatic inflation adjustments and flexible use of funds. The draft also calls for reducing reliance on short-term restricted grants and local property taxes.

The resolution cites a statewide ranking and return-on-investment data. As read to the committee, it notes that "Wisconsin currently ranks 49th lowest in state dollars dedicated to public health per person." The text also says local public health initiatives show a strong median return on investment.

Board members discussed how the resolution would be distributed; Jamie said the intention is to send it through WALDAB (the Wisconsin Association of Local Health Departments and Boards) and the Wisconsin Counties Association for broader advocacy rather than sending hundreds of individual letters. One member suggested local legislators representing Marquette County should be specifically notified as well.

A motion to forward the resolution to the county board and to WALDAB passed on a voice vote. The chair called for members to signify "aye," and after the vote declared the motion carried.

The resolution asks the governor, state legislators and the Department of Health Services to consider a funding model that recognizes public health as a core government function and reduces the strain on local property taxpayers. Jamie said the step is intended to build momentum statewide by collecting support from multiple county boards rather than pursuing a Marquette-only request.