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Piatt County board to discuss $50K budget cut to public health department, raises for non-union workers

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Illinois

The Piatt County board will consider a balanced budget at a special meeting Wednesday morning, one that relies on $218,000 in federal pandemic aid and a new $250,000 tort levy to boost revenues. As approved by the county board finance committee on Oct. 23, it also trims the local health department levy by $50,000 in order to help the struggling county corporate general fund. […]

As for the levy cut for the DeWitt/Piatt Bi-County Health Department, Director David Remmert said it could actually result in a $100,000 revenue hit for his agency.

“Our budget is based on an agreement developed years ago between the two counties that ties the two tax levies we receive together, so what happens in Piatt also has to happen in DeWitt. I don’t believe the board or the fiscal consultant they’ve brought in understand the predicament that leaves us in, and I’m hopeful they will discuss this further,” he said.

The levy adjustment was made after the committee decided on the balanced version of the budget, added back in $30,000 for a sheriff’s police car, and figured in 2 percent raises for employees not covered by collective bargaining agreements.

Unreal.

The state needs to redo the entire local public health system’s structure.

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Oct 27, 20 @ 4:09 pm

Comments

We are truly, completely, in the stupidest of all ages.

Comment by OneMan Tuesday, Oct 27, 20 @ 4:13 pm
Classic cutting your nose off despite your face.

In the midst of a lethal pandemic, defending the public health department is the height of covidiocy.

Comment by Huh? Tuesday, Oct 27, 20 @ 4:14 pm
Guess they’re counting on the virus to disappear on 11/4. I’ll take the other side of that bet for $50,000.

Comment by Precinct Captain Tuesday, Oct 27, 20 @ 4:15 pm
Cutting the Health Dept. budget in the midst of a pandemic. Brilliant move. Sounds almost like something they learned from Washington.

Comment by Bruce( no not him) Tuesday, Oct 27, 20 @ 4:21 pm
Anyone remember the setting of the TV show Buck Rogers?

The areas outside the cities, including New Chicago, were considered desolate wastelands.

Good times.

Comment by TheInvisibleMan Tuesday, Oct 27, 20 @ 4:28 pm
Owning the scientists.

Comment by PublicServant Tuesday, Oct 27, 20 @ 4:33 pm
As an immigrant to Illinois, why do we have local public health departments? At one point the State did that function for places without a local health department. Moved to Springfield when the City had a health department, but not Sangamon County (the State did that function). Also seem to remember that as a non-home rule county, Sangamon used authority related to TB districts to create their health department. Background anyone?

Comment by Anyone Remember Tuesday, Oct 27, 20 @ 4:44 pm
Interesting to note that Piatt County has a 20% lower infection rate than Cook County. And they have exactly zero deaths from Covid.

Comment by Western burbs Tuesday, Oct 27, 20 @ 4:47 pm
== why do we have local public health departments? ==

Illinois has way too many units of local government, and the does way too much at the local level. It is wildly inefficient, and just creates a breeding ground for local corruption.

Comment by WorkingFromHome Tuesday, Oct 27, 20 @ 4:48 pm
“Sangamon used authority related to TB districts…”

That’s my understanding of how it worked in my county as well. The TB board creation eventually morphed into the county health board.

Comment by Downstate Tuesday, Oct 27, 20 @ 4:48 pm
What idiot came up with the idea to cut the public health budget NOW?

Comment by RNUG Tuesday, Oct 27, 20 @ 4:54 pm
Anyone on that county board own a bar or restaurant that’s not been following COVID-19 protocols?

Comment by Candy Dogood Tuesday, Oct 27, 20 @ 4:57 pm
This is the county board chairman, still….

https://www.journal-republican.com/news/county-board-chair-indicted-on-forgery-official-misconduct-charges/article_dd7f2f5e-37d3-11ea-abdb-9b6462f7818d.html

Comment by OurMagician Tuesday, Oct 27, 20 @ 5:04 pm
IDPH spent decades encouraging and compromising with IL county boards and policy leaders to create the number of county health departments you have now. Funding for local and the state health departments has been a continuing struggle, especially when the GOP was in control.

It is only after a crisis does public health get a decent infusion of cash. Then to see that disappear as memories fade.

Yes, we need systemic change. However, that won’t come until we see leadership focus on problem solving and not donor interests.

Comment by Norseman Tuesday, Oct 27, 20 @ 5:09 pm
===What idiot came up with the idea===

They apparently hired a consultant. lol

Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Oct 27, 20 @ 5:11 pm
=== They apparently hired a consultant. lol ===

We have finally found the “Waste, Fraud, and Abuse. My God, when will the people reject these goofballs?

Comment by PublicServant Tuesday, Oct 27, 20 @ 5:20 pm
An approximate statement from JFK that is of the utmost appropriateness now: “Ask not what your country can do for you. Instead, ask what you can do for your country.” Bailey? Bailey? Bailey?

Comment by PublicServant Tuesday, Oct 27, 20 @ 5:23 pm
== They apparently hired a consultant ==

Of course. That way nobody on the Board could be blamed.

Comment by RNUG Tuesday, Oct 27, 20 @ 6:48 pm
Having more than a passing familiarity with Illinois Public Health departments, here’s what you are seeing:

Illinois PHD are normally devided into 2 separate operating environments:
EH (Environmental Health)
Nursing

EH is the ‘cash cow’ part of the operation. It usually has 30% of the budget, but produces 60-70% of the cash flow. Lots of fee based income, plus Local Health Protection Grant funding.

Nursing usually has 70% of the budget, but in most places runs in the red. Doesn’t fund itself. Runs off grants, etc.

EH handles issues like Food Safety, Private Well (septic) & Private Water (Wells), nuisance complaints, etc., etc. There’s a whole list of EH services provided. It’s virtually all fee driven.

Nursing covers things like WIC, traveling nurses, etc. Again, in most places around the State, it doesn’t pay it own way.

This likely isn’t about ideology - it’s likely about money.

When restaurants close, they stop being inspected. That’s immediate loss of fee revenue. Not to mention what it does to the local property tax base.

Too bad. Dave Remmert is one excellent Public Health Administrator. IMO, one of the best in the State of Illinois.

Comment by EH Guy Tuesday, Oct 27, 20 @ 7:19 pm
Having grown up in Monticello, and knowing a couple of the board members, this does not surprise me. Not. At. all. Insane.

Comment by BNIndy Tuesday, Oct 27, 20 @ 8:07 pm
The county public health boards themselves need a good scrub, to purge themselves of the business owners who oppose public health measures.

Comment by crazybleedingheart Wednesday, Oct 28, 20 @ 12:13 pm