San Juan County Board of Health calls for restoration of public health funding
Published 1:30 am Sunday, August 16, 2026
Submitted by San Juan County
At its June meeting, the San Juan County Board of Health moved to send a letter to state legislators urging action to restore funding for Foundational Public Health Services in the next legislative session. This letter is a response to the funding cut that has already impacted local public health operations. Visit https://sanjuancountywa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/35844/20260617-BOH-Letter_FPHS to read the full letter
The board’s action comes in response to the inadvertent reallocation of vapor tax revenues that were previously directed to the Foundational Public Health Services account. The resulting reduction in funding for the coming fiscal year has created significant challenges for local public health departments across the state, including San Juan County Health & Community Services
“There are the real-life impacts to this cut,” said Justin Paulsen, Board of Health member and County Council member. “We lost staff. We lost services.”
As a direct consequence of the funding reduction, the department has been forced to cut three staff positions, reducing capacity to provide essential public health services that protect and improve community health and well-being
The board’s letter calls on state legislators to prioritize corrective action during the upcoming legislative session to restore funding that was inadvertently diverted from the FPHS account. Restoring these re services that communities rely on every day
Foundational Public Health Services provide the core capabilities and programs local health departments need to respond to public health threats, address emerging health challenges and promote the well-being of communities. Continued underfunding risks the weakening of these essential services at a time when communities continue to face complex public health needs
San Juan County Board of Health and Health & Community Services appreciates the partnership of state lawmakers and looks forward to working collaboratively to restore this critical funding and protect the long-term success of public health programs across the state
