HomeMy WebLinkAbout2344 ResolutionRESOLUTION NO. 2344
A RESOLUTION urging increased State funding for local public health services
WHEREAS, the State of Washington continues to enjoy a very strong, prosperous and
healthy economy resulting in substantial surplus state revenue growth, now projected by the
State Forecast Council to be as much as $739,000,000 for the 1997-99 biennium, growing over
successive financial quarters, and
WHEREAS, a healthy population and protection of the public's health are essential to the
continued economic vitality, growth and success of all community, regional and statewide
economies, and
WHEREAS, the Washington State Constitution establishes the immediate preservation of
public health as one of the first and highest duties of state government, and
WHEREAS, Washington Administrative Code - specifically, WAC 246-05 -- clearly and
precisely sets forth the basic public health services requiring funding support to assure
adequate health protection for citizens and community populations, and
WHEREAS, state law declares "The primary responsibility of the public health system is
to take those actions necessary to protect, promote, and improve the health of the population"
and that local health jurisdictions are in fact both the principal providers of basic public health
services and the primary vehicle available to the State to carry out its public health promotion,
protection and improvement mandates, and
WHEREAS, State funding is essential to the support of basic public health services and,
aside from recent short-term appropriations to address urgent needs, public health
improvement planning and local capacity development funding, the actual dollar level of State
funding allocated to local health jurisdictions to support basic public health services has
substantially decreased and
WHEREAS, in the specific case of the Benton-Franklin Health District, State funding for
basic public health services has decreased 58% over the past 5 years (see Declining State
Funding Support Analysis, Exhibit 1), and
WHEREAS, this sharply declining level of State funding now only covers 4 out of 23 basic
public health services prescribed in WAC 246-05, resulting in a disproportionate burden being
shifted to local health jurisdictions to generate additional local funding that may exceed the
financial capacity of already taxed citizens, county and city governments to bear, and
WHEREAS, the State has become heavily and possibly overly-dependent on federal
funding to meet State public health financing responsibilities at a time when such federal
funding is already scheduled and expected to decline in future years, and
WHEREAS, the State of Washington historically ranks last among all States of the Nation
in the amount of State funds used to support basic public health services, and
WHEREAS, it is unconscionable for State Government to continue to accrue from the labors of
Washington's citizens and their communities, vast State Revenue Surpluses and fail to take leadership
action to reverse the precipitous decline in State public health funding support and the resulting loss or
curtailment of basic public health protective programs already occurring in several local health jurisdictions
across the State, thereby increasing the potential public health risk exposure of those communities and
populations,
r
Charles D Kzlbury,
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PASCO, WASHINGTON,
DO RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:
That there is an urgent need to mobilize public awareness and the involvement and good
will of all our state and local elected officials to access surplus state revenues to support basic
public health services and prevent further deterioration in community public health protection
due to insufficient efforts to hold state government officials accountable for State funding
leadership necessary to address and assure adequate State funding of basic public health
services for future years
PASSED by the City Council of the City of Pasco at a regular meeting this 17,th day of
November 4997
ATTEST:
Catherine D Seaman, Deputy City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
----P-= n I -----------I0.----
Leland R Kerr, City Attorney