Mistrust of the government and political polarization are driving local leaders to turn down federal funding for public health.
of local governments in 15 states conducted by the National League of Cities found more than 200 small governments declined pandemic relief funds, a small percentage of the money available to small governments.funded by the CDC, money intended to “establish, expand, and sustain a public health workforce, including school nurses.” The funding would have flowed through the state to the county, allowing it to hire two employees dedicated to public health services for two years.
“That being said,” Casalotti said, “in recent months, I’d say, we’ve heard of a handful of health departments that either would not apply for or couldn’t accept … specific grants,” involving Covid vaccines. A 2019 meeting with the state Department of Health and Human Services underscored the need for more local public health infrastructure.
“You’re 100% factual that the timing couldn’t be worse,” said Jon Karr, then the chairman of the commission, during the meeting. Although he said he did not buy into all the conspiracy theories about the CDC that others touted, he added that he did not think CDC officials should be trusted. “We’re not public health experts, we’re just people who are willing to step up to the plate and take this on,” Wheeler said, referring to other county employees who helped with the public health response to Covid.
Other local leaders saw the need for increased public health resources amid the pandemic. The Elko City Council wrote a letter of support for the CDC grant the day before the commission rejected it. “We know for sure it’s not something that the city wants to tackle by ourselves,” said Curtis Calder, city manager. “But if our regional partners want to do it as a partnership, we stand at the ready to assist where we can.
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