The Archuleta County Board of Health (BoH) unanimously approved its 2025 budget during a special meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 27.
The budget was presented to the board by Public Health Finance Officer Stephen Slade and Public Health Department Director Ashley Wilson.
Slade indicated that the total revenues for the department for 2025 are listed at $1,208,157, and that total expenditures are listed at $1,172,058.
This leaves the department with a surplus of $36,099, Slade explained.
One concern that was brought up toward the end of the budget presentation was that the BoH had previously approved a new full-time employee position at its regular meeting held on Aug. 15.
The position title would be the public health planner, with a salary range of $66,114 to $92,594, according to agenda documentation from that meeting.
Wilson explained that the newly approved position was left out of the budget and that if it were included, it would put the department’s budget over by about $70,000.
Board president Jon Bruss questioned what the correct process would be then in going about approving a budget that does not include the newly approved position.
Board member and commissioner Warren Brown explained that, in his understanding, the BoH would approve the presented budget and that the newly approved position would go in front of the Board of County Commissioners (BoCC). If the BoCC approves the position, more funds could be allocated from the BoCC’s budget to cover the costs of the newly approved position.
County Attorney Todd Weaver indicated that an amended budget would be presented to the BoH if the county approves the position and is able to assign more funds to cover the cost.
During the meeting, the board discussed a few of the department’s programs, highlighting the health navigation and the sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE) programs.
Slade noted those are two programs the department is “trying to stand up right now.”
He mentioned that total revenues for the SANE program are listed at $101,873, with $86,415 coming from federal grants.
The health navigation program’s total revenues are listed at $94,804, according to the approved budget.
“The primary driver of these programs is special grants through victims compensation at the federal level, which is what we would be pursuing in order to pay for the bulk of the programming,” Slade said.
Bruss asked what the likelihood is of being awarded the federal grant.
“They are federal funds that are competitive,” Wilson said, explaining that the county currently does not have that specific program, which makes the odds of being awarded “relatively high.”
“The biggest thing about these two programs … neither would be implemented without funding,” Wilson said in regard to the health navigation and SANE programs.
Bruss asked what the likelihood is of being awarded the full amount.
“They’re likely to award the full amount,” Wilson said, noting that many of the requests for those grants are highly variable and that Archuleta County is on the “lower end.”
She noted that the programs will not be implemented if the funding is not received.
Wilson also talked about two new programs in the budget — the insurance assistance and clinic programs.
She noted that the county has been under contract with La Plata County to provide insurance assistance services at a cost of roughly $17,000.
She explained that Archuleta County has applied to run its own insurance assistance program and was awarded $50,000 for that.
“So, that was an additional boost in that line item to help support that health navigations position,” Wilson said.
She also noted that the department has started billing Medicare and Medicaid services.
“So, we have income coming in,” Wilson said in regard to the clinic program.
Bruss also questioned the amount listed in expenditures under travel costs being at $34,627.
Wilson explained that there has been some staff turnover in the past year, which caused some budget amending, though funds could only be moved to certain line items.
“So, that is very high, Jon, I agree,” she said.
Wilson explained that those funds could not be moved into staff wages at the time, but that a full budget revision would occur in November, when funds could potentially be moved around.
Slade also noted the budget includes an anticipated 6 percent wage increase for staff.
The board also discussed the environmental health program, which has an anticipated revenue from charges for service listed at $51,328, which Wilson indicated is coming from permits issued.
She noted that an increase in permits issued is not included and that the community generally doesn’t see an increase in the amount of restaurants as one usually replaces another.
She also explained that the state is changing requirements for restaurants to have all staff members certified under ServSafe, instead of just one certified staff member working at all times.
Wilson explained the department is planning to “offer those classes locally in order to help all the restaurants to fill that requirement.”
Bruss inquired about what the department is doing in terms of immunizations, noting, “We’re starting to see prepandemic surges in certain childhood diseases.”
Wilson explained that the state “does want to see increases in kindergarten immunization rates across the board.”
She added that the department has evening and weekend clinic hours to increase those rates.
The department also uses other strategies of working with schools and child care centers to makes families aware and provide service to meet requirements, she explained.
“So, I definitely think as a state we are being tasked with trying to increase, at least at the kindergarten level, immunization,” Wilson said.
Slade indicated the department has five programs that were budgeted to “zero out” the revenues with expenditures.
Salary increase
During the same meeting, the BoH also approved a 4 percent merit salary increase for Wilson.
Bruss explained there was a review cycle for the director of public health that went to department managers, along with staff members, with the reviews all submitted anonymously.
He noted that Wilson received a “very favorable overall outcome,” meeting all requirements for the position.
Board member and commissioner Veronica Medina mentioned that a 2.63 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) is projected for next year and that the board should consider that, along with Wilson’s accomplishments, when suggesting a salary increase.
County Manager Jack Harper explained that a salary increase up to 3.5 percent is within the BoH’s authorization, but that an increase of 4 or 5 percent would need his approval, as well.
Medina mentioned that it would “not be unreasonable” to propose a total salary increase of 5.63 percent, including the anticipated COLA increase, based on Wilson’s performance.
Brown noted the COLA increase has not been approved yet, but he “would think that that’s likely to go through.”
Slade explained that according to the county’s policy, a 3 percent increase would be suggested for reviews that indicate an average performance, whereas a 4 percent increase reflects above average and a 5 percent increase reflects excellent performance.
Bruss mentioned that the board should focus solely on a merit increase and that the COLA increase “is completely separate.”
Medina revised her recommendation and motioned for a merit increase of 3.5 percent.
That motion died for a lack of a second.
A motion was made for a 4 percent merit increase, which was passed by a split vote, with Medina being the only opposed.
clayton@pagosasun.com
