Galveston County commissioners have voted to take over management of the Galveston County Health District, a move that documents show will cut jobs while saving taxpayers money. The decision came Monday, when commissioners approved the agreement unanimously.
The county has provided the health agency with money each year, but leaders now say there are ways to save funds by taking over several areas, including accounting, IT, and HR. The agreement states that “Positions that duplicate existing County roles, create unnecessary overlap, or do not support the administrative functions transferred under this Agreement may be eliminated without replacement.”
Commissioner Hank Dugie told ABC13 the move will save taxpayers $500,000 a year. ABC13 asked how many employees could be impacted. Dugie couldn’t say, adding that some of the positions that’ll be eliminated are currently vacant.
The agreement’s job cuts
The agreement’s language is blunt about jobs. Positions that duplicate existing County roles, create unnecessary overlap, or do not support the administrative functions transferred under this Agreement may be eliminated without replacement.
Dugie confirmed the savings figure but declined to specify which employees are at risk. He pointed to vacancies among the positions targeted for elimination.
Employee concerns
Some health district employees reached out to ABC13, worried about losing tenure and benefits. Dugie referred ABC13 to the HR department when asked about the transition process.
Commissioner Robin Armstrong told ABC13 in a statement that the county’s employee retirement pension plan is better than the health district’s. She said employees will appreciate the switch.
Armstrong also said the change will benefit both employees and citizens served. She promised no change in services.
A former employee’s warning
Kenneth Williams, a former county employee, expressed doubt about the plan. He said he has heard from several current health district employees.
“If they plan on saving wages, they’ve got to cut something,” Williams said. “I just hope they don’t cut the services that these folks rely on, and I hope it doesn’t interfere with any federal funding.”
Williams urged commissioners to delay the vote and provide more information to neighbors and employees. “Just table this,” he said. “Let us try to figure out what’s going on. See if it’s going to affect anything. I know a lot of people; from my understanding, there’s a number of them that will lose their jobs, but we just don’t know how the finances are going to work yet.”
Services promised to stay intact
Leaders said the takeover will not impact services. Health district documents show that two years ago, the agency reached tens of thousands of Galveston County neighbors through health visits, vaccines, and ambulance rides.
Dugie told ABC13 federal funding won’t be impacted. Armstrong’s statement also promised no change in services.
Next steps
This is not a done deal. The health district’s board is holding a special meeting on Thursday to vote on the agreement. On Monday, the health district did not respond when we reached out about the commissioner’s court meeting.
The sequence of events:
- Commissioners approved the agreement Monday.
- The health district board meets Thursday to vote.
- Employees await word on which positions will be cut.
- Savings of $500,000 per year are projected.
The vote has been cast, but the outcome depends on the board’s decision Thursday. Until then, the question of which employees will lose their jobs remains unanswered.
The county has said repeatedly that services will not be affected. The agreement itself allows for eliminations without replacement.
Dugie’s $500,000 figure is the projected savings. Whether it comes from job cuts, reduced salaries, or other savings is not known.
Williams’ warning is worth keeping in mind. The agreement itself allows for eliminations without replacement.
The board’s Thursday vote will settle whether the takeover moves forward. Until then, the health district employees who spoke to ABC13 remain in limbo.
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