Black Hawk County Supervisors Cut Health Dept. Funding In Midst Of Pandemic
In a move that Black Hawk County Supervisor Chris Schwartz called “irresponsible.” The Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 Tuesday to cut funds for a county epidemiologist position. Tom Little, Dan Trelka and Craig White voted to cut funding for the position, while Linda Laylin and Schwartz voted against defunding the role for next fiscal year, that starts July 1, 2021.
In an article reported by the WCF Courier, Black Hawk County Health Department Director Dr. Nafissa Cisse-Egbuonye said she does not understand the rationale for the cut, especially during a pandemic. Pointing out that the position studies more than just COVID-19, but also influenza, food-borne illnesses, pneumonia, along with many other diseases.