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Northshore Health Department warns of funding gap; asks Whitefish Bay to consider additional support
Summary
Northshore Health Officer Becky Roland said the department is about 50% funded for foundational services and has seen a $214,000 funding decrease over two years; she asked the Whitefish Bay board to consider options, including the full 4.14% intergovernmental-agreement increase or targeted line-item support.
Whitefish Bay — Becky Roland, public health officer for the Northshore Health Department, told the village board on Oct. 20 that the department has faced sustained cuts and is currently funded at roughly half the level needed for foundational public-health capabilities.
Roland said the Northshore has experienced a $214,000 net decrease in funding over two years and that the department has eliminated or reduced positions and internships to manage the shortfall. "We're about 50% funded to meet the foundational public health capabilities," Roland said, noting that the department has also absorbed federal funding cuts that were passed through the state.
Under the intergovernmental agreement, the health department may request an annual increase up to the average of the Northshore police collective bargaining increase plus one; this year Roland said the full ask would be 4.14%, which for Whitefish Bay would amount to about $4,800. Board members discussed whether Whitefish Bay alone could increase its contribution, and Roland said the village could make a unilateral increase without immediately changing the agreement for other communities.
Board members and staff asked about a joint case manager position Roland described as partially funded through Milwaukee County (historically flat-funded at $31,000) and supplemented by other grants; Roland said $65,000 was currently secured and that other grant decisions are pending in January. The case manager focuses on falls prevention, follow-up after non-fatal overdoses, and assisting frequent callers to emergency services.
Roland said the state provided one-time funding to cover an immunization funding gap; that relief is temporary. She urged the board to investigate targeted funding options and suggested the newly created Northshore Health Department Foundation as a potential vehicle for additional support.
No formal vote was taken; the village board agreed to consider potential budget increases or specific line-item support during upcoming budget deliberations.
