State needs to step up and support public health

Published 12:25 pm Thursday, August 28, 2008

During an economic downturn, vulnerable populations rely on public health programs more than ever. But many local health jurisdictions are facing a dire lack of funding.

The Snohomish Health District projects a $4.4 million shortfall in the 2009 budget that could end popular programs and result in a 20 percent workforce reduction beginning in October. Public Health Seattle and King County is preparing for a reduction of at least $12 million in services in 2009, with more cuts likely in the years to follow.

Surely, someone should have seen this one coming.

Cities and counties stopped taking responsibility for public health in 1995, when revenue gained through the Motor Vehicle Excise Tax was used to fund public health. In 1999 voters repealed the Motor Vehicle Excise Tax and a new funding source was never determined. Nine years later, recovery still hasn’t occurred.

Cities and counties that have not been liable for funding public health in over a decade are now being asked to pitch in during hard economic times while trying to balance their own budgets. As reserve funds run low for health districts, other governmental bodies are charged with making up for a serious lack of planning by the state.

While public health should be high on every one’s priority list, local governments cannot and should not be expected to fill the gap in public health alone.

Help from the state is critical for public health.

This month, the King County Board of Health asked the state to provide a stable source of funding for public health. A unanimously adopted resolution encourages cities to pass similar legislation and to place public health funding at the top of their legislative agendas.

It’s too late to point the finger. But it is time for local governments to put the pressure on state legislatures and lobby for public health.