The Medina sentinel. [volume] (Medina, Ohio) 1888-1961, 1921-06-02
HEALTH BOARD IS
SHORT Or MONEY
Continued from First Page)

----f
sentially asbusiness undertaking and
must therefore produce results COM
mensurate with the expenditures if !
is to- be considered justifiable, we the
undersigned members of the Board Of
Health Of Medina County, feeling that
a crisis in the affairs Of the Board has
arisen, desire to submit the following
statement for your consideration.
The new Hughes-Griswold Law un-
der which we now operate provides
that the supervision of health work in
each county shall be centralized under
Health Commissioner who may en-
ploy such deputies and assistants as
may be necessary for the proper con-
duct of the work. Last year, the
first year under which the new law be-
came effective was naturally one Of
uncertainty and doubt, and the Board
felt its way cautiously. But $1,000
was voted for this work, and the State
of Ohio paid one half of this amount.
A part time Commissioner Of Health
was employed, and he was instructed
to proceed as best he could with the
amount at his disposal This year,
budget Of $4,000 was granted, and
$4,000 Of this amount is borne by the
state, the state pays one half Of all
money up to $4,000 paid out for salar-
les. Exclusive of salaries, our budg-
ct this year provides 5000 for the pur-
chase and maintenance Of an automo-
bile and $500 for all other miscelian-
eous expenses, i. e., to provide an Of
| flee, and also for postage, stationery,
stenographic work, vaccine, antitoxin,
and many other items. Manifestiy,
the amount available for the work is
entirely inadequate. Offices for the
Commissioner Of Health are not pro-
vided. as in the case of other county
officers. The law states that the
County Commissioners MAY provide
such an office, but they have not done
so. Fortunately, through the cour-
tesy of the Medina County Chapter
of the American Red Cross, their car
has again been made available for our
use and they are paying all bills ror
its upkeep. This car is used by the
county nurse in her visiting and school
work. As it seemed impossible to
purchase and maintain another ca.
with the 5000 at our disposal an ar.
rangement has been made whereby the
Commissioner c used his own car and
we only pay operating expense from
this fund.
! Under the old system as you know
each village. and township employed
Fits. own health officer and paid al
bills for fumigation and other neces
sary items Of expenditure. The ag
gregate ofthese amounts formerly ex
pended by each village and township
would we believe greatly exceed. thu
amount now being expended in th'
conduct of this work in the county al
a whole.
InaSrluch as the amount at thei
disposal for general operating ex
pense was small the Board felt tina
until such time as an adequate amour
was voted for this work. that I
would be necessary to ask each vii
lage and township to continue to pa.
| its own bills for quarantine of conta
gious diseases to the extent of seein,
that house in which contagious dis
4 ease occurred was promptly p1acard
ed, and fumigated after the death 0
recovery of the patient. Manifestfy
these bills like all others for healtl
work SHOULD be paid out Of ou
general fund, but this fund is entirei.
| inadequate to do this. This fact ac
counts for the irregular procedure il
the payment of these bills to date.
| However, the State Examiner noy
in Wadsworth, in going over tn
books of that village states that al
money paid out for such work sine
the new health law went into effec
: has been paid illegally. AS resul
!, we face the situation that:
No village or township can emplo
a local health officer or~pay out an
: money in the conduct Of health wor
, OF any character. The County Boar
Of Health is empowered to emplo
such deputies as it may need for tn
! proper conduct of its work and to pa
: all expenses incident thereto, but
e without the funds necessary for thi
work. 5s.
$ BY the ruling Of the State Examine
S we must begin to pay all bills in til
county incident to quarantine and fun
cation Of all houses in which col
tagious disease occurs. For th
work, and for all other expenditure
Il Z, i sai + IA