Health budget request shrinks

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Sunday, October 18, 1998

BY TIM BONFIELD
The Cincinnati Enquirer

The Cincinnati Health Department is seeking a $40.2 million budget for 1999, down about 2 percent from this year -- but the proposal calls for an increase in city taxpayer support.

The proposed budget for the city's second-largest department calls for spending $646,000 in city funds for new services and programs that have lost outside grants and fee income. Then for the year 2000, the health department predicts it will need another $943,000 in city money to cover projected shortfalls at the city health clinics.

Health Commissioner Malcolm Adcock previously has said the health department would be seeking more money from city council. The specific numbers will be discussed publicly for the first time Thursday at a health board operations and planning committee meeting.

City Manager John Shirey has not indicated whether he will recommend funding the health department's requests. The requests are:

• $346,860 to continue a lead poisoning prevention program next year after a federal grant expires.

• $141,290 for expanded dental services at the Cann Health Center in Madisonville.

• $80,200 to support a solid waste nuisance complaint program that no longer gets funding from landfill tipping fees.

• $20,930 for continued monitoring of the closing of the ELDA landfill, which also has lost funding from tipping fees.

• $57,230 for weed control.

• For the year 2000, the health department projects needing $942,890 to support its health clinics, which have struggled under rising numbers of uninsured patients.

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Local Headlines For Sunday, October 18, 1998

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