The Saline County Health Department presented its financial status during Tuesday's County Commission meeting, revealing the department is at 73% of projected revenue and 55% of projected expenses for the year to date.
Health Director Jason Tiller provided commissioners with a detailed budget review comparing current figures with those from the previous year. The department is showing slightly higher revenue and lower expenses compared to the same period last year.
"Right now, January to current for this year, we are at about 73% of our projected revenue and about 55% of our projected expenses," Tiller reported to the commission.
Tiller explained that the lower expense figures were partially attributed to vacant positions that have not been filled, resulting in unused salary allocations. Additional revenue came from the completion of several grants.
The health director also addressed the status of various grant programs that fund department operations. Despite concerns earlier in the year about potential funding reductions at the national level, Tiller indicated the department's grant outlook appears stable.
"I feel much better now," Tiller said regarding the grant funding situation. "These numbers reflect our actual awards. So while we've seen some minor maybe decreases in a couple of them, we are this year, for the current grant year that we are in now that started July 1st, looking pretty good."
Tiller noted that some grant programs, such as WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) and the Ryan White Program, operate on different fiscal year timeframes than other county operations, making their final funding amounts for the coming year still undetermined. However, he stated that indications from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment suggest level funding should continue.
The department is also navigating changes to some federal emergency preparedness grants, which are currently funded at 50-70% of previous levels, though additional funding is expected later in the fiscal year.
Two COVID-era grants concluded this year as scheduled, and while there was some reduction in final funding amounts due to federal "clawbacks," Tiller indicated these changes did not significantly impact department operations.
The commission received the budget update as an informational item and did not take any action on the report.
