San Angelo City Council approved the 2020-2021 budget on September 15, 2020. The week before the Health Department reported 65 COVID-19 deaths . During summer budget planning over 50 patients were hospitalized on a daily basis from the coronavirus. The city has been under a public health emergency declaration since March 2020.
Yet, the budget document mentioned COVID-19 only two times. The first was under Hotel Occupancy Tax and the second under Civic Events. Both mentioned an expected revenue shortfall and the need to use general fund dollars.
Oddly the budget decreased funding for Health Services in the middle of a pandemic.
The city drastically cut health department programs and staffing under CFO Michael Dane's tenure. It closed the public STD clinic in 2012 and only reopened it after receiving federal money. The clinic had five staff members the full year prior to its closing shakedown. The reconstituted clinic, which also gives immunizations, has had a mere two employees since 2016.
The Section 1115 Waiver grant required matching funds, however the city spent little of its own money for health services during the five year grant period. By the end of 2019 over $600,000 of the roughly $1 million in 1115 Waiver funds received remained in city coffers.
In addition the city cut funding for its Hazards Division, responsible for public health emergency preparedness and response for 2020-2021.
City Council meets next Tuesday and it is yet to assess its public health response and make course corrections as a leadership body. COVID-19 deaths reached 269, up 204 from budget approval.
Citizens are living the impact of prior decisions to cut public health services. Deterioration was not restoration then and it remains so today.
Update 6-9-21: The City said it would resume its HIV/STD clinic on June 7, 2021. It closed March 16, 2020. The HIV/STD closure was never shared with the public in any form or forum.
No comments:
Post a Comment