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Commissioner proposes using Med‑Max funds for Whitted Building HVAC; staff says eligibility limited to clinic space
Summary
Commissioner Bedford proposed drawing down Medicaid Maximization funds to pay for HVAC work at the Whitted Human Services Center; staff said about 28% of the facility houses medical/dental clinics and could be eligible, which would lower the Med‑Max balance from roughly $12M to $10M over four years.
At the May 26 budget work session Commissioner Jamezetta Bedford proposed using a portion of the county’s accumulated Medicaid Maximization (Med‑Max) revenues to pay for a set of HVAC projects at the Whitted Human Services Center.
Budget Director Kirk Vaughn told the Board that staff identified roughly 28% of the Whitted facility’s square footage as occupied by dental and medical clinics, making that portion potentially eligible for Med‑Max funding. Vaughn said applying the funds to the Whitted HVAC work would draw down the county’s Med‑Max balance from about $12 million to approximately $10 million over a four‑year span and would only modestly change an otherwise stated tax equivalent (staff estimated a drop from about 11.86 to 11.84 cents in the presented model).
Commissioner Marilyn Carter asked what Med‑Max revenue is; Vaughn explained that Medicaid Maximization is a state revenue source the county receives for operating certain medical and dental services and that the county has accumulated the balance in part while anticipating a Southern Human Services expansion. Staff stressed eligibility limits tied to the portion of space supporting Medicaid‑billable services.
No formal decision was made; the measure was presented as a potential amendment for commissioners to submit by the 10:00 a.m. deadline the following day. Vaughn and the County Manager noted the drawdown would reduce the Med‑Max balance but cautioned that reserves are held for multiple priorities and any redirection would be a policy choice the Board would need to weigh.
