WLKM Radio 95.9 FM
The six-member Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency recommended their respective county commissions raise local contributions to the agency for 2023.
The increase to $5.30 per person reflects a 15-cent increase per person and is allocated for the mandated eight essential services matched by the state.
Health officer Rebecca Burns said each county must pass the increase in budgets under review for next year.
Mandated local health services include: food protection, private groundwater/public water supply, hearing and vision screening for children; sexually-transmitted disease control and prevention, and immunization.
In 2012, the agency based local shares on population at $5.15 per person.
St. Joseph county commissioner Jared Hoffmaster said his county’s increase is $9,200, making the county’s new appropriation slightly more than $320,000 annually.
