May 22 Oppose letter Governor's Proposed Budget Cuts for Future of Public Health

May 23, 2024

The Honorable Caroline Menjivar
Chair, Senate Budget & Fiscal Review
Subcommittee No. 3 on Health & Human Services
1021 O Street, Suite
Sacramento, CA 95814 

The Honorable Akilah Weber, M.D.
Chair, Assembly Budget
Subcommittee No. 1 on Health
6720 1021 O Street, Suite 4130
Sacramento, CA 95814

RE: Reject Governor’s Proposal to Eliminate $300M Future of Public Health (FoPH)

Dear Senator Menjivar and Assemblymember Weber:

On behalf of the Marin County Board of Supervisors, I urge the Legislature to reject the Governor’s May Revision budget proposal to eliminate the entire $300 million ongoing General Fund Future of Public Health investment, including $200 million dedicated to local health department workforce and infrastructure. We also express opposition to the elimination of $52.5 million in Future of Public Health funds in the current fiscal year.

Marin County Public Health serves as the first line of defense against public health threats in our community. To carry out this responsibility, we rely on a highly skilled and specialized workforce. The public health workforce has faced significant challenges the past several years responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, including burnout and harassment by members of the public. Future of Public Health mandated that agencies use 70% of funds for ongoing positions. As a result, here in Marin, we converted approximately 6.0 FTE positions in Public Health to permanent. The fiscal impact to Marin if this funding is eliminated is approximately $1.2 million annually. The first installation of this funding was received in FY 2022-23. The positions supported by these funds represent multiple programs that promote community health and wellness across a wide range of Public Health initiatives, including disease outbreak prevention and infection control in high-risk facilities/congregate living settings, home visiting and health education services for children and families, and coordination around messaging and services with community-based organizations via Community Response Teams. A sustainable Public Health workforce and multidisciplinary approach is key to achieving Marin County’s health goals and outcomes. In addition, the services provided by these positions prioritize communities and settings that are often at higher risk for adverse impacts from COVID-19 and other infectious diseases and lower health outcomes, including skilled nursing and long-term care facilities.

These investments represent the very few initiatives dedicated to strengthening the governmental public health workforce and infrastructure of our state, and we are dismayed by the Administration’s proposal to eliminate these vital resources. As we continue to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, our country and state has experienced the tragic impacts of understaffed and under-resourced local public health departments. California must continue to support the governmental public health workforce and ensure robust and capable public health departments.
For these reasons, we urge you to reject the Governor’s proposed elimination of public health funding and maintain the ongoing $300 million Future of Public Health investment.

Respectfully,

Dennis Rodoni, President
Marin County Board of Supervisors

Cc: Marin County Board of Supervisors
Senator Mike McGuire
Assemblymember Damon Connolly