A preliminary budget revealed Public Health - Dayton and Montgomery County faces a $4.6 million deficit that could impact some staff positions in 2024.
The public health department's 2023 budget projects it could earn about $36 million in revenue, which primarily comes from the county’s human services levy, fees it collects for services and federal and state grants. Its expenses, however, are anticipated to be around $40 million.
The agency has been operating at a deficit for the past few years as costs have climbed but revenues have been flat, according to Public Health Commissioner Jennifer Wentzel.
This time, Wentzel said the agency’s reserves aren’t large enough to handle the deficit. In response the department is already taking steps to address the $4.6 million shortfall this year.
“Our intent this year is to cut that down to $2.6 million,” Wentzel said. “We've identified some cost savings already through looking at our contracts, looking at our operational expenses, and considering reduction of our footprint and holding some positions open for the time being.”
Wentzel added the agency could possibly reduce a small portion of its staff. Although, that’s uncertain since it’s still actively applying for grants and there’s no clear picture of what the final 2024 budget will look like.
“We have a lot of decisions to make and are looking at program and funding opportunities,” Wentzel said. “So I can't say for certain it's possible. We could have opportunities for additional grants that may increase that number too. So it just hinges on the funding that's available for us to apply for.”
Currently, the cut backs are not expected to impact any community services. The agency will submit a final 2024 budget later this year to its governing board.
Alejandro Figueroa is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms.
