Island County Board of Health urges continued foundational public health services funding

The Island County Board of Health voted on Feb. 26, 2026, to approve a resolution urging continued funding for Foundational Public Health Services after county public health officials warned a governor’s budget proposal and revenue shortfalls could strip local support. Shawn Morris, Island County Public Health director and an ND, told the board Gov. Bob Ferguson’s supplemental budget proposes a $29,000,000 reduction in FPHS and that an approximately $20,000,000 shortfall tied to vape tax collections compounds the hit; “This amounts to nearly $50 million in reductions across the state’s public health system,” the board’s materials reported.

The resolution includes an attached memo to the 10th District Legislative Delegation emphasizing how FPHS dollars allow local leaders to “manage infectious diseases like tuberculosis, respond rapidly to emerging outbreaks and provide locally relevant health information to our community.” The board approved the resolution during a regular session that adjourned at 3:34 p.m., according to county meeting records.

Morris framed the local stakes, estimating the statewide actions would translate into “about $300,000 to $400,000 annually in funding for Island County.” Dr. Howard Leibrand, Island County’s health officer, asked whether a decline in vapor product usage contributed to lower revenue; Morris said he believed it was part of the picture. The board’s action directs the county’s message to state legislators as public health leaders weigh program cuts.

The board packet also included Consolidated Contract CLH31012 Amendment No. 17 with the Washington State Department of Health, which increases allocations to Island County by $420,751. That amendment adds $200,000 for the Public Health Infrastructure Grant (PHIG) and $220,751 for WIC client services, revises statements of work for FPHS and the COVID-19 Vaccine Outreach Program, and notes the PHIG implementation approach’s first phase had a June 30, 2024 due date. County documents state that “Staff deliver WIC services virtually and in‐person at Island County facilities for all geographic regions. This is expected funding for the WIC program and supports our caseload.”

County leaders placed the FPHS fight in a broader local funding frame that includes hospital financing pressures. Island Health’s Board of Commissioners unanimously voted to ask voters on the April 2025 ballot to approve a 41-cent increase in its M&O levy, raising the rate from 34¢ to 75¢ per $1,000 of assessed value, citing the need to maintain services such as labor and delivery, mental health and surgical upgrades and to provide “Local, Critical Hospital Services, 24/7/365.”

Board member items from the meeting record show ongoing local coordination: Morris discussed a Community Partners meeting, Commissioner Johnson requested Health Heroes be raised with the Community Health Advisory Board, and Commissioner St Clair said “we are submitting our health care policy platform priorities for NACCHO.” The resolution and its memo to the 10th District will be part of the county’s push to keep FPHS funding intact as state budget decisions move forward.