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Health department would get smaller percentage of funding in new Meck County budget compared to last year

One county commissioner, whose husband had COVID-19, says the new budget doesn't go far enough with public health funding.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — WCNC Charlotte's Defenders have learned that public health is getting a smaller percentage of funding in Mecklenburg County's proposed budget, compared to last year. 

You might be surprised to hear that since the COVID-19 pandemic became a wake-up call for the world. After crunching the numbers, WCNC Charlotte found the percentage of funding for public health would actually decrease slightly from last year. 

It's true Mecklenburg County received millions of federal dollars for the response to the outbreak, but now a county commissioner, whose husband had coronavirus, says the budget doesn't go far enough. 

County Commissioner Susan Rodriguez-McDowell called the proposed budget "business as usual" when it comes to public health, but says it shouldn't be after what she's seen first-hand. 

"Yeah, it's kind of scary," said Rodriguez-McDowell. "He was traveling internationally, and so he started to feel sick when he was abroad."

It was St. Patrick's Day when her husband took the test back in the United States. Eight days later, his results showed he was positive for COVID-19. 

"He stayed pretty much quarantined and so he's doing great now," Rodriguez-McDowell said. 

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Now, about two months later, she's among those voting on how much to fund the county's public health department. She says the proposed budget for 2021 doesn't go far enough. 

In the fiscal-year 2019 budget, the department got about $79.7 million out of the county's $1.7 billion budget. That's roughly 4.7%. 

Under the recommended budget, public health would be allotted $86 million out of the $1.9 billion total. That's about 4.5%, down a touch from last year. 

Commissioner Rodriguez-McDowell says she'd like to see more money for the health department. In the short term, the county did receive $39 million from the federal CARES Act, to pay for the response to the outbreak. But in the long term, she hopes the pandemic will change how the county prioritizes public health. She says that includes better addressing people with underlying health issues, particularly in areas of poverty. 

"It's really helped us to see some of our disparities in a new light," Rodridguez-McDowell said. "So when there is another pandemic, their health quality will be at a higher level already."

She plans to propose adding mobile health clinics to underserved communities. 

'I do think we're going to be proposing that we don't go with business as usual, that we see what's happened to our community and we respond to it," Rodriguez-McDowell said. "I think that's the right thing to do."

In a statement to WCNC Charlotte about the proposed budget, County Manager Dena Diorio said:

“The COVID-19 pandemic has reiterated the importance of the County’s Public Health Department now more than ever. The investments in the recommended budget for fiscal year 2021 takes into account the needs of the Public Health Department as well as the needs of every other County department and our partners. 

The recommendation also does not factor in any COVID-related Federal or state funding the County has been awarded or the department may receive during the upcoming fiscal year.

Part of the County’s budget process allows for the Board of County Commissioners to adjust investment areas based upon the needs and priorities of the community at the time of adoption. 

I look forward to continuing to work with the Board to make the best funding decisions that will serve the needs of our community.”

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