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Board hit with cut in funding
The board is expected to decide on program cuts within a month.
YOUNGSTOWN — Mahoning County Mental Health Board officials said the second state subsidy reduction this year is larger than anticipated and will force program cuts.
The health board learned Wednesday that $555,286 will be shaved from its subsidy from the Ohio Department of Mental Health, which represents about 5 percent of its fiscal 2009 budget of $14 million-$15 million. This week’s cut in state money follows a reduction last October of $131,775.
Because the agency’s fiscal year runs from July 1, 2008, to June 30, 2009, and the budget for fiscal 2009 was already in place, the board has had to adjust for cuts it was not expecting when the budget was put together, said Karen Schwarz, fiscal director.
The agency was able to absorb the October reduction, using revenue from the sale of property and by operating more efficiently, said Toni Notaro, administrative director.
But, because of the large amount of the second cut, and with only five months left in the fiscal year, the board will not be able to absorb the latest financial loss. Without knowing the formula the state would use to determine cuts, local officials had anticipated a $300,000 to $400,000 reduction.
“It is deep and it hurts. There will be cuts to the agency’s core and grant programs,” Schwarz said.
Core programs, which operate independently but receive funding from the county mental health board, include: Burdman Group, Catholic Charities Regional Agency, D&E Counseling Center, Family Service Agency, Help Hotline Crisis Center, Meridian Services, Mahoning County Community Support Network and Turning Point Counseling Services.
“This will require a true examination of everything that we fund and will require some hard decisions. We will involve everyone involved in the process. We’re going to have to ask our agencies to do more with less,” said Richard Keyse, board president.
“We want to protect our programs, but at this point, we’re going to be looking at everything we fund,” Notaro said.
Agency officials, speaking after Thursday’s board meeting, rejected an across-the-board cut for all programs, opting instead to attempt to determine which services and programs are most critical and preserve those.
However, the board, which will make the final decision, is expected to vote on staff recommendations at or before its regular meeting Feb. 19.
Unfortunately, the subsidy cuts come during bad economic times when the programs funded by the agency, which served about 10,000 county residents last year, are needed more than ever, Notaro said.
“We’re very fortunate that the people of Mahoning County have passed two property tax levies that generate a combined $4 million a year. Without them, we’d be in even more difficulty,” Keyse said.
alcorn@vindy.com