Travis County, Texas (KXAN) — The Commissioner of Travis County approved Central Health’s $308 million budget and tax rate for the 2022-23 fiscal year, with the only dissenting vote from Commissioner Margaret Gomez. Ahead of the vote, Gomez expressed frustration at not having an answer to her question, which she said she had asked central health officials for years.

Central Health is a public hospital district in Travis County, created to provide medical services to the low-income, less accessible, and uninsured population.

Central Health’s FY23 budget shows a $90.5 million increase in funding allocated to medical resources for Travis County residents. As part of the budget, Central Health is investing in a new healthcare equity plan. This includes expanding access to primary care. behavioral health and substance use treatment; specialty care through partnership agreements; direct medical services; and pharmacy services.

This is Central Health’s first budget to request direct care, not just purchased medical services. The FY23 budget calls for $5.7 million for direct health services and nearly $130 million for purchased health services.

The currently approved tax rate for fiscal 23 is 0.098684, which is approximately 9.9 cents per $100 of valuation. According to backup documents, the average taxable homestead property tax for Travis County homeowners will decrease by about $3.99.

Some commenters on Tuesday disputed the accumulation of Central Health’s contingency reserves, which amounted to $327.8 million. Frank Ortega of LULAC District VII called for Central Health’s $100 million reserve to be used to:

• Expanded CommUnityCare Clinic Hours, Reduced Wait Times, and Improved Clinical Care at Eastern Crescent
• Sendero joins STAR+PLUS program to provide capital reserves to provide Medicaid to seniors and people with disabilities
• Increase funding for the Sendero CHAP program to serve 750 to 2,000 people on budget
• Increase funding for Sendero Premium Assistance Program to help more Austin musicians access medical care
• Increase funding for additional professional appointments for MAP members

Texas LULAC District 7, along with NAACP-Austin, previously expressed concerns about Central Health spending. The Travis County Commissioner approved an independent performance audit for Central Health in July. An update is expected to be presented on Tuesday.

Other public commenters, including Maria Emerson of Advocates for Social Justice Reform, voted in favor of approving the budget. Emerson said there is always room for improvement, but the last few years have seen growth and improvement in operations.

Quoting Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., she said, “Justice delayed is justice denied,” and that delaying or not approving the budget was a disadvantage to many residents. added.

The commissioner pointed out the lack of respect shown to Gomez when she attended a Central Health special budget meeting on Monday. Commissioner Jeff Travillion added that it was her duty to ask difficult questions and that she should be provided with appropriate answers.

Commissioners and key Central Health leaders agree to hold frequent meetings between governing bodies, Central Health, and the non-profit Sendero Health Plan to increase transparency and provide regular updates Did. Part of the work Central Health and Sendero Health Plans are collaborating on this fiscal year includes outreach to community organizations to provide subsidies to those who may qualify for insurance. will be

According to Central Health’s budget chart, there are 161,000 uninsured county residents, of whom 107,000 are enrolled in Central Health services. There are about 18,000 uninsured county residents who do not fall below the federal poverty level 200% threshold — a key group, central health officials said they are targeting to move forward. .