No changes to health district funding

EPHRATA — Grant County Commissioner Deborah Moore made numerous pleas Thursday to her fellow commissioners for additional spending contributions to the Grant County Health District.

Commission Chair LeRoy Allison and Commissioner Richard Stevens disagreed with Moore and froze spending at current levels when the 2006 current expense budget passed.

In protest, Moore voted against the budget.

Currently, the county contributes $158,202 in funding to the district. The county also provides rent-free space for both the Ephrata and Moses Lake district offices.

In a letter signed by both Peggy Grigg, director of personal health services for the district, and Alexander Brzezny, Grant County health officer, they asked for an additional contribution of $151,798 over 2005.

Grigg and Brzezny requested, in the Nov. 9 letter, additional money to use in the district's tuberculosis and communicable disease programs.

"The requested amount, although nearly double the prior year's contribution, reflects a realistic assessment of 10 years of stagnant public health funding from local sources in Grant County and is considered essential for the fulfillment of the county's public health needs in the 21st century," Grigg and Brzezny wrote. "If received, the amount would constitute 16.7 percent of total GCHD budget revenues, while the county average in Washington state is around 27 percent."

Moore said the county can afford to pay an additional $125,000 from either the $3.6 million unreserved fund balance or from within the $25 million budget.

"Grant County has the highest per capita rate of TB of any other county in the state," Moore said. "This is a huge issue."

She said Washington state law requires county governments to pay for TB care through the district.

Commissioner Allison said he was disappointed that Brzezny continued to overlook some contributions by the county, including office space in Ephrata and Moses Lake.

"The first year is an oversight, the second year is an insult," Allison said Thursday during budget discussions.

"We do need to fund it, but I believe we're funding it already," he said. "And I think we'll step up if they need it."