Allen County Commissioners approved a 3% increase in funding for the Southeast Kansas Multi-County Health Department (SEKMCHD) during its meeting Tuesday morning, following a presentation by department administrator Becky Johnson.
Johnson submitted a budget request of $118,450 for the 2026 fiscal year, citing inflation and rising operational costs as the basis for the proposed adjustment.
“This request is in line with the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA), which reflects the average increase in the cost of goods and services over time,” Johnson said. “Our last funding increase was in 2021, and since then, we have continued to see increases in expenses related to staffing, supplies, and service delivery.”
The additional funding will help the department maintain the “quality and consistency of the essential services” it provides to the community, Johnson added.
REVIEWING THE department’s work over the past year, Johnson reported that SEKMCHD conducted 316 disease investigations in 2024, held 2,640 WIC (Women, Infants and Children) appointments, and administered 1,417 immunizations. The department also made 107 home visits and organized 138 outreach events, including immunization clinics, senior health fairs, and hearing screenings.
“Your support allows us to protect the health and safety of Allen County residents, respond to emergencies, and provide critical services that improve lives every day,” said Johnson. “We appreciate your partnership in this mission.”
The department also launched two new initiatives in the past year. One is a partnership with the Oklahoma Mothers’ Milk Bank to operate a breastmilk donor drop-off site in Iola.
“Women who are breastfeeding and have an abundant supply can contact the milk bank and set up a screening,” Johnson explained. “The women send us their frozen breastmilk which we then send to the milk bank to be screened for any diseases.” Once cleared, the milk is distributed to hospitals across the region. She also noted that the department’s breastfeeding coalition has quadrupled its membership since last September.
The second new program involves tick-borne disease prevention. The department has distributed educational materials and installed tick-repellant boxes along local trails.
LOOKING AHEAD, Johnson said SEKMCHD is working with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) to secure grant funding for Safe Sleep Community Baby Showers. These events aim to educate parents on infant safe sleep practices and provide them with a Pack ‘N Play.
“There are more families than you know who don’t have a crib or a safe place for their baby to sleep,” she said. The same grant would also fund car seats and safety checks.
Commissioner David Lee expressed his support for the department. “I’ve had an opportunity to work with Miss Johnson and the Southeast Kansas Multi-County Health Department for several years,” he said. “They do good work and they’ve not asked for any kind of COLA since 2021 and costs do go up.” He then motioned to approve the budget request, which passed unanimously.
IN OTHER NEWS, Zoning Administrator Terry Call updated the commission on developments in Labette County, where officials finalized a payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) agreement for a new battery energy storage system (BESS). Labette County will receive $24 million over 20 years, including a $2.4 million upfront payment once the facility becomes operational in 2027 or 2028. The project is backed by Great Plains Energy.
Meanwhile, Allen County is weighing a proposal from Mission Clean Energy to build a 300-megawatt BESS facility on 15 to 30 acres, with an estimated price tag of $300 million. However, the application process has been delayed, possibly until 2026.
Commissioner Lee, who recently attended the Kansas County Commissioners Association conference, raised concerns about tax implications.
“The state, at this point in time, does not know if they are going to require these entities to pay taxes on these projects,” Lee said. “We need to continue learning and doing the research. We need to find out what the state’s going to do — whether it’s going to tax or not.”
