COVID-19 is going to figure heavily into next year’s budget for the Berrien County Health Department. The Berrien County Board of Health heard a presentation on the proposed 2021 budget during a meeting this week, with Berrien County Health Officer Nicki Britten saying COVID will be a factor for a while.
“We know that this is going to outlast 2020,” Britten said. “We are going to continue to have a really important role at the health department into 2021 with COVID-19 response. We expect that next year we will be participating in mass vaccination clinics and working to distribute that out.”
Berrien County Health Department Business Manager Lisa Ankenbruck covered the numbers, noting coronavirus affects just about all department operations. Overall, the Berrien County Health Department expects expenditures next year of $8.5 million. It expects $6 million in revenue from the state and federal governments and grants, and a $2.35 million allocation from Berrien County, which is the same as last year. Ankenbruck noted outside funding for the health department has greatly increased due to COVID. It’s so far received $1.7 million just for coronavirus response.
