Sponsor: Health and Wellness
Title
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Project Budget and Financing Plan for Support of the 2025 Health and Wellness Service Team Budget
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Recommendation
recommendation
1. Accept and approve the project budget and financing plan for support of the 2025 Health and Wellness Service Team budget in an amount of up to $1,000,000.
2. Authorize the County Manager to allocate up to $1,000,000 of year-end funds from the Health and Wellness Service Team 2024 operating budget and the Lake Owasso Enterprise 2024 year-end fund balance at the close out of 2024 to the project budget and financing plan for support of the 2025 Health and Wellness Service Team budget.
3. Authorize the County Manager to account for the project budget and financing plan for support of the 2025 Health and Wellness Service Team budget as a budgeted project in the Health and Wellness Service Team.
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Background and Rationale
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The Health and Wellness Service Team (HWST) worked throughout 2024 to focus on revenues and reduce spending to reach budget goals in 2024. As a result of this concerted effort, HWST has a projected surplus at year end 2024. The budget monitoring in 2024 has been a result of the HWST effort through several initiatives including better understanding of the budget process, reviewing expenditures and revenues to make sure HWST hits its budget targets. As HWST came together, several items were prioritized, such as the Ramsey County Correctional Facility Pod Enclosure Project and filling of key positions to support resident facing work. As a result of the team’s efforts, HWST is projecting a surplus in the 2024 operating budget. This level of holding spending is not sustainable in 2025 without significant service impacts. In collaboration with Finance and the County Manager, it is requested that up to $1 million of the HWST fund balance, including both the 2024 operating budget and the Lake Owasso budget, be put into a project to support HWST budget in 2025.
As a result of the HWST efforts, there are needs across the service team that cannot continue into 2025, such as the need to fill positions, execute contracts and make purchases to ensure the continuation of uninterrupted services to support residents with the critical services HWST provides. To ensure HWST critical services continue and not result in a deficit in 2025, it is requested to move up to $1 million in surplus 2024 funds to a project to better manage the 2025 HWST budget. Any funds remaining at the end of 2025 can be canceled to the General Fund of the county. This will allow HWST to manage through the second year of the budget while working with Finance and the County Manager to propose a sustainable budget for 2026-2027.
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County Goals (Check those advanced by Action)
☒ Well-being ☐ Prosperity ☐ Opportunity ☒ Accountability
Racial Equity Impact
Allowing the HWST to hold the surplus $1 million to use into 2025 will allow HWST to ramp up services that may have been slowed, to better serve our community members and the types of direct services they will receive. HWST offers several direct services that directly impact racially diverse populations in the departments of Financial Assistance Services, Community Corrections, Social Services, Veterans Services, Public Health.
Community Participation Level and Impact
Through several Racial Equity Community Engagement Action Teams, including ones for the entire HWST as well as Community Corrections, among others have been able to hear feedback and inform to make decisions on HWST priorities. Having a sustainable budget and uninterrupted services will provide the biggest community benefits.
☒ Inform ☐ Consult ☐ Involve ☐ Collaborate ☐ Empower
Fiscal Impact
The HWST made achieving budget targets a priority in 2024 by holding spending and focusing on revenue, therefore there is a projected surplus in the 2024 operating budget and the Lake Owasso Enterprise Fund. HWST will work with Finance to determine the amount available at 2024 year-end close, up to $1 million, and move those funds to the project. This project will be available in 2025 to HWST and any funds remaining should be canceled at the close of 2025.
Last Previous Action
None.
Attachments
None.