Board Weighs In on Tobacco Funds

A majority of Ventura County supervisors back a proposal to give county health programs most of $8 million in tobacco settlement funding when it’s distributed this year.

The county’s public hospital and other health programs are the only sources of care for thousands of uninsured county residents and therefore should be the biggest beneficiary of the settlement windfall, supervisors said.

What’s more, the money is intended to reimburse the county for years of health care services provided without charge, the supervisors said Tuesday.

The county should receive about 60% of the funding, with the remaining 40% divided among private health care providers and nonprofit groups, Supervisor Kathy Long said.

“The board clearly wanted to structure this in a regional way that would help both public and private providers of health care,” Long said.

County Executive Officer Johnny Johnston outlined the breakdown in a report delivered Monday to an advisory group overseeing the distribution of tobacco money. Two other supervisors said they agree with Long.

“I’ve always felt that was the right breakdown,” Supervisor Judy Mikels said. “It makes sense for the county, which has the larger share of responsibility for providing the safety net, to have a larger [share].”

Supervisor Steve Bennett called Johnston’s recommended distribution a good starting point.

“This is what the board originally identified as appropriate,” Bennett said. “We need to try it, get feedback and then evaluate the programs after we get going.”

But members of the advisory panel, appointed by the Board of Supervisors, have made clear they do not intend to simply rubber-stamp Johnston’s recommendations.

The 11-member panel voted overwhelmingly Monday to delay any decision on how to apportion funds until they get more information on exactly how the dollars would be spent.

Divisions are still apparent, with some members voicing suspicion that the county will use the money to pay bills instead of expanding health care programs.

“The county does a lot of good things and it is the safety net for health care,” said advisory board member Nancy Borchard. “But the [private] hospitals also have pressing needs. I’d like to hear more about how many indigent people the county serves and compare that to the private hospitals.”

Long said the panel will have influence in helping the board set funding priorities. For instance, if committee members believe the county should use much of its share to expand mental health programs, they could make that recommendation to the Board of Supervisors, she said.

“They do have some discretion,” she said. “No one wants a rubber stamp.”

At least one supervisor said the board should wait for the committee’s recommendations.

“We should let the committee act on its own,” Supervisor John Flynn said. “They are intelligent, fair-minded people. . . . And after it goes through that process, then let the county work on it.”

Flynn said, however, he hopes the committee does not decide to fund every program that comes before it.

“I do hope they don’t turn this whole thing into a grab bag,” he said.

Supervisor Frank Schillo was unavailable for comment Tuesday.

The money comes from the county’s participation in a states’ lawsuit against major tobacco manufacturers. Ventura County is to receive about $250 million over 25 years. The citizens committee has been meeting since March, hearing presentations by various community groups hoping to get a slice of the funding.

Recommendations are expected to go to the Board of Supervisors by September.