Another eight public health unit employees were laid off last week, bringing the total to 13. And officials cannot guarantee that will be the end of cutbacks this year.
“This is a challenging time for public health,” said Dr. Nicola Mercer, medical officer of health with Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health (WDGPH).
The 13 employees laid off to date include five nurses as well as “clerical and professional” staff, Mercer added, with “a majority” of the cuts being full-time positions.
“We tried to ensure any cuts were distributed equitably; both geographically and across [various services],” she said. “We don’t anticipate having positions for these individuals in the foreseeable future.”
Mercer explained that to provide the same level of public health services in 2010 as in 2009, an estimated budget increase of 9% ($1.4-million) would be required.
“We know the province will not provide that level of funding so we’ve had to adjust our budget accordingly,” Mercer said. “Regrettably, we need to severely reduce programs and staffing to meet this budget.”
The WDGPH board has approved a 2010 budget of just over $16.2-million. That is an increase of 5.2% over last year’s budget of about $15.4-million, but also represents about $600,000 in cuts to the level of services offered in 2009.
Officials have tried to minimize the impact on the public, Mercer said, though she did acknowledge the unit’s Healthy Babies Healthy Babies Healthy Children program in particular was hit hard by the cutbacks because it is funded 100% by the province. She explained funding for 100% provincially funded programs has not kept pace with program costs over the past several years.
Other programs affected by provincial funding changes include Smoke-Free Ontario, the Children in Need of Treatment Dental Program, Small Drinking Water System Program and other child health programs including speech and language.
Health unit officials say the situation was exacerbated by the province’s decision in recent years to download to a cost-shared basis some previously 100% funded programs.
Normal funding for most WDGPH programs is split 75:25 between the provincial and upper-tier municipal governments, with Wellington County, Guelph and Dufferin County each paying a percentage based on population.
The 2010 public health budget results in a 7.3% overall increase to the three municipal funding partners.
Amounts paid by Wellington County to the health unit for the last four years are:
– $1,131,000 in 2007;
– $1,314,443 in 2008;
– $1,435,949 in 2009; and
– $1,593,800 this year.
When asked if there are more layoffs coming, Mercer said she can not know for certain until September, after the province officially approves its funding.?She stressed that public health officials will try their best to ensure there are no more job losses.
However, the approved 2010 WDGPH budget is based on an estimated provincial funding increase of 4.5% – the same as in 2009 – but the cash-strapped province has indicated it will provide increases in the range of 3%.
Mercer denied the rumour that exorbitant raises for those in senior management positions at WDGPH contributed to the budget constraints and layoffs. In fact, she explained, this year public health employees received a 3% cost-of-living pay increase across the board, regardless of position or salary.
