Grant County Health District decision stalled

EPHRATA — The Grant County commissioners voted to delay making a decision on the future of the Grant County Health District pending discussions with the district.

The county was examining the possibility of disbanding the health district and making it a county department.

The district is presently run by a board made up of the county commissioners and representatives from the several cities in the county.

Changing it to a department, would place it under the direct control of the county commissioners.

Commissioner LeRoy Allison said part of the reason for changing the district to a department was because the district used to guarantee the availability water, now they just approve the quality of water. Also there has been a drop in services to the county.

“The background, that you need to understand, is what we’re going through here in the county,” Allison said. “Historically, our budget has gradually grown over the years.”

To balance the countybudget in 2008, the county borrowed $1.8 million out of $4.8 million in reserves. The county was expecting for revenues to exceed the projections, Commissioner Richard Stevens said. While the revenues did meet expectations, they didn’t exceed them.

“We didn’t have to lose a lot of services (in 2008),” Allison said. “We tightened the belt a little bit, used some of the fund balance … After three weeks (this year) of grueling discussion , hearing and meeting on the budget with departments, we’re going to end up with a balanced budget. We no longer want to go into that reserve.”

Allison said the county hopes to replace the money from the reserves with property taxes. During the course of the district’s history, the county became more responsible for funding the district.

During the 1980s, the district was funded by a combination of city and county money. Then in 1993, the state changed the funding source, driving money through the county from the motor vehicle excise tax, Allison said. The legislation also made the county responsible for the district.

“The counties alone are responsible, basically is what (the Legislature) were saying,” he said. “That county responsibility language was added and the city funding ceased.”

While the state money increased the county funding increased, until it was about $161,000 in 2008, Allison said. This is a small portion of the districts roughly $2.2 million budget in 2008.

After having a tight year in 2004, the county’s donations started to rise again, he said. Along with the direct financial support, the county also provides space for the district.

“The concern for me is … the jail (medical) services ended and the county had to pick it up at the time when it was less then $100,000 for a doctor, for oversight, and nurses to provide the medications and the shots,” Allison said. “That number has risen over time from 1995 to now … to $258,000 … During that time, these charts show a lot of money going from the county and (the county) not receiving those services.”

The county is also spending money on the water availability determinations, he said.

Allison suggested keeping the district, but removing the city representatives from the board, making it run solely by the commissioners.

While disbanding the district may be the best solution for the county, Allison said most cities have contributed money to the district.

“One of the documents we got from (Public Health Officer Alex) Brzezny was from the Columbia Basin Herald. It’s an article. And when you read it and don’t look at the date, it sounds like today,” he said. “Because it’s the exact same issues going on today as Mar. 20, 1981 … These issues have been here a long time. They should have been solved a long time ago.”

Stevens and Commissioner Cindy Carter said it was too early to make a decision, and they wanted to negotiate with the district to come to a solution on these issues.

Stevens said he spoke with the district’s attorney about the possibility of having the district start handling water availability.

“He said there might be a way to handle the water issue and that possibly we could come up with a memorandum of understanding between the county and the health district,” he said. “To have the health district serve us, basically pull the liability off the district for determinations on water and put them on at the county.”

 Medical services in the jail were brought up during the district’s last meeting, and Stevens said it seemed like something they were willing to discuss with the county.

“If we got that coverage we wouldn’t be hanging on a thread,” he said. “Right now, we have three and a half nurses covering the jail and a local physician … (the doctor) has been considering quitting and we have no other alternatives. It’s costing us more for the liability insurance than it is for his time.”

Stevens said another reason it’s too early to make a decision, is because the county needs to give six months notice for a change and can’t make the change until the end of the year. The earliest they could make the change would be 2010.

“What we haven’t done is sit down with the cities and address our concerns of why we want to do this,” he said. “Whether it’s the fact that we’re sitting on a board where we’re putting out 85 percent of the money that’s coming from local participation and we have 33 percent of the say.”

Stevens worries the cities may stop their contributions if they don’t have any participation.

Commissioner Cindy Carter said she would like to keep working with the district on the issues.

“I just feel like it’s kind of rushed,” she said. “I think I want to wait on that, see if we can work it out with the health district.”