7/24/13 Health district levy to appear on November ballot

  • By Nick Sabo
  • July 24, 2013
  • 392
                        
SUMMARY: Cuts at state level, unfunded mandates drive need for local revenues The Holmes County District Board of Health will put a levy before voters in November. The board approved a resolution Friday July 19 to place a .75 mil levy on the Nov. 5 ballot. According to Holmes County Health Commissioner Dr. D.J. McFadden, the reason for the levy is the same as that for a levy placed before voters in the May 7 special election. The $608,900 per year generated by the levy would pay for unfunded mandates and make up for cuts in local government funding that are threatening the health districts‘ ability to continue to provide needed public health services. McFadden said the recently passed state biennial budget does little for public health. He said the state has made it clear that health districts will have to look locally if they need more funding. “(The biennial budget) raises concerns where they see the value of public health,” McFadden said. “If we’re going to continue to meet the challenges that come our way and also meet the needs of our community, we need to rely on a stable source of funding, and the state is not going to be that stable source of funding.” The health board previously placed a .75 mill levy before voters May 7. The levy failed with 814 votes for and 1,156 against. In other business, the board voted to contract out epidemiology services to the Medina Health Department. The contract, which McFadden said will bring in about $5,000, will involve the Holmes County Health District providing epidemiology services to Medina roughly one to two hours per week. “We’re always glad to help someone and get paid for it,” McFadden said. “We feel that this is a reasonable agreement.” The board further renewed a mutual aid agreement with the Northeast Central Ohio Region 5 (NECO). The agreement promises mutual aid in times of medical emergencies that may be too big for one entity to handle, requiring shared resources to get the job done. “It basically says we’ll help each other out,” McFadden said. “This is not binding in the sense that we must offer assistance” the health district does not have the resources to respond to, McFadden said. McFadden said NECO does not call on mutual aid often. He cited a hepatitis outbreak “six years ago” that required extensive checking via telephone to trace the source of the outbreak. The health district assisted by making some of the calls, McFadden said.


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