02/10/2007

Budget crisis puts some low-income aid at risk

WIC nutrition program could be cut or eliminated

By Brian McGillivary

bmcgillivary@record-eagle.com

Record-Eagle/Douglas Tesner
Jenny Kenter and children Faith, 1, Kevin, 3, and Brett, 7 are among many area families that could be affected by a Grand Traverse County Health Department budget crisis that might result in drastic cuts.

TRAVERSE CITY — Jenny Kenter worries where she'll get baby formula, baby food, and nine gallons of milk a month to feed her three kids this summer if Grand Traverse County decides to cut programs for women and children.

The Women, Infants and Children nutrition program is one of several programs tailored to low income families that faces drastic cuts and possible elimination in order to resolve the county health department's pending budget crisis.

"There are a lot of families out there that really, really need it with the way the economy is going,” Kenter said. "Some of that baby food is really expensive and you can't always afford it.”

The health department started the year projecting a $356,000 deficit. That's jumped to $582,000, due to reduced revenue for permits, increased costs from state mandated program changes, and reduced reimbursements from the state run Medicaid program.

"The state's requirements have gone up but they're providing less money,” said Fred Keeslar, county health department director. "It won't get better next year.”

The 2008 state budget released Thursday by Gov. Jennifer Granholm proposes reducing state funding of health programs by $11 million.

The county health department already has increased some permit fees and made $135,000 in cuts by not filling two positions, cutting some employees from 40 to 37.5 hours a week, and trimming several programs.

The most noticeable changes are a 50-percent reduction in flu vaccines and eliminating the National Cherry Festival's baby comfort station.

The health department has a budget surplus of $800,000 but Keeslar said officials won't wipe it out in one year. He will ask the county board to decide in April if it wants to increase the county's $1.3 million annual contribution or cut programs.

The choice of programs to cut is limited to those the state doesn't mandate.

Cutting health and safety inspections for swimming pools, day care centers and campgrounds would save just $63,000, Keeslar said.

The WIC nutrition program that serves half of the roughly 1,000 babies born each year in Grand Traverse County costs the county $117,000. Other programs on the chopping block include Family Planning, which serves almost 1,300 low-income women at a cost of $132,000 annually, and a program to serve women with at-risk pregnancies that costs $214,000.