The City of Auburn doesn’t have a solution yet to keep the Public Health clinic in Auburn open.
But amidst ongoing talks with potential partners, none of them named, optimism reigns, and word around City Hall is that something will be worked out before King County can close the clinic at the end of the year.
If not with King County, then via a partnership or partnerships with local medical organizations.
“We have some great medical organizations in Auburn that we have been having discussions with about a new model that looks like a more permanent solution,” Dana Hinman, communications director for the City of Auburn, said Monday.
“This is at the top of the agenda for Mayor (Nancy) Backus. King County will adopt its budget in mid-November. That makes for a pretty tight timeline, but we are hoping to deliver some good news,” Hinman said.
King County Executive Dow Constantine last week announced a partnership with the City of Federal Way to keep the Federal Way Public Health Center open, despite declining federal and state funding. Thanks to wage concessions by Public Health employees that should result in savings during the 2015-2016 budget, and additional funding from the City of Federal Way, the clinic there gets to stay open for at least the next two years.
Auburn’s clinic serves 11,000 people a year, not only from Auburn but from nearby communities like Pacific, Algona and Black Diamond.
The proposed budget recently introduced by Constantine is King County’s first biennial budget for all county agencies, including those contained within the County General Fund. After the budget is adopted, it will be updated as needed over the two-year period.
The King County Council’s review of the county budget starts Oct. 1, when the budget committee hears from the county’s separately elected officials on their proposed budgets.
“King County continues to face a massive budget shortfall in our general fund, which limits our ability to make wise investments that will save money in the long-run. That’s why I’m pleased the executive announced that he will lead an effort to develop a levy to make the wisest investment possible – in our kids,” said King County Councilmember Joe McDermott, Chair of the Budget and Fiscal Management Committee. “I appreciate the hard choices Executive Constantine made while developing his budget. My council colleagues and I will now begin our review, continuing the executive’s efforts to ensure our government is running as efficiently as possible.”
