Events Calendar
In This Section
Most Read Stories
Man found dead in North Akron home is identified
Dad accused of forcing son into field, killing him
NFL star Chris Spielman's wife loses cancer battle
Man allegedly paid teens to spit in his face
Coventry man killed in crash at I-77 ramp
Indians add 7 players to 40-man roster
College student mistaken for deer, shot to death
Police accuse bank robbery suspect of gobbling up note (with dashcam video)
Poor machine maintenance blamed for fire at Akron business
Investigators say nude video of ESPN reporter Erin Andrews shot in Ohio
Blogs:
Pets:
Cat-loving chihuahua suckles seven abandoned kittens
The Heldenfiles:
Friday Night Notebook
Patrick McManamon:
For your Saturday entertainment …
Akron Zips:
Two blowouts, one night
Tribe Matters:
Seven players added to Tribe’s 40-man roster
Cleveland Browns:
Hey, somebody's gotta stick up for the Browns
Kent State Sports:
Singletary update
Cleveland Cavaliers:
Gameblog: Cavs at Indiana Pacers – Here’s to LBJ and Free Throws
Buckeye Blogging:
OSU – Michigan college football rivals meet in Baghdad
Varsity Letters:
Bowling season starts today
All Da King's Men:
Headed For Disaster
Blog of Mass Destruction:
Will Health Care Reform Pass?
Akron Law Café:
Federal Judge Declares DOMA Unconstitutional
See Jane Style:
Vintage Chic
Car Chase:
TIME TO GET YOUR COLLECTOR CARS WINTERIZED
Let's Talk Real Estate:
Silverdome Potentially SOLD!
Ohio Travels with Betty:
George is looking for a Thanksgiving buffet in Akron.
Sound Check:
Steely Dan Plays "The Royal Scam" at E.J. Thomas Hall
HRLite House:
Colloquium at University of Akron
Akron Gamer:
Nintendo's Mario endures even as games come and go
By Linda Golz
Beacon Journal staff writer
POSTED: 02:26 p.m. EDT, Jul 09, 2009
BARBERTON: The move would save Barberton some money, but some fear a merger of its Health Department with Summit County could cost the community much more.
Some have expressed concern that eliminating the 115-year-old Health Department could limit Barberton residents' access to needed services.
City officials met with the Summit County General Health District on Wednesday night to discuss the proposal.
Mayor Bob Genet said an agreement has been ironed out to make the merger a reality should the city opt to adopt it.
Genet said his main concerns are that the prenatal, WIC and other services such as public access to records remain available in the city. He also wants assurances that the department's 22 employees be offered the chance to apply for jobs with the county.
The potential merger comes as the Barberton department confronts a $121,000 budget shortfall this year.
Barberton Health Commissioner Paulette Kline said her total budget is $1.8 million this year.
Kline said a promised $108,000 grant from the state's tobacco fund will help cut the deficit.
Norton, which had contracted with Barberton's Health Department until its contract ran out May 31, has decided to contract with the county.
Genet said that decision cost his city $300,000.
Genet said if the city were to merge with the county it would result in a $500,000-a-year savings.
Among the topics raised Wednesday were concerns that the merger discussion was moving too quickly and whether the quality of care, especially students and children in the WIC program, would be compromised.
Genet said his hope is that a merger would actually create stability in the health safety net for Barberton residents.
''Every year the Health Department gets thrown under the bus'' with budget cuts and layoffs, the mayor said.
Gene Nixon, the county's health commissioner, said he wanted to work out a deal that would offer good service to the residents, hire as many of the displaced employees as possible and provide ''not just basic public health services, but quality services.''
The mayor said he has no timeline for a merger, but if the decision is made to contract with the county there will be legal issues that will take time to work through.
Linda Golz can be reached at 330-996-3640 or lgolz@thebeaconjournal.com.
BARBERTON: The move would save Barberton some money, but some fear a merger of its Health Department with Summit County could cost the community much more.
Some have expressed concern that eliminating the 115-year-old Health Department could limit Barberton residents' access to needed services.
City officials met with the Summit County General Health District on Wednesday night to discuss the proposal.
Mayor Bob Genet said an agreement has been ironed out to make the merger a reality should the city opt to adopt it.
Genet said his main concerns are that the prenatal, WIC and other services such as public access to records remain available in the city. He also wants assurances that the department's 22 employees be offered the chance to apply for jobs with the county.
The potential merger comes as the Barberton department confronts a $121,000 budget shortfall this year.
Barberton Health Commissioner Paulette Kline said her total budget is $1.8 million this year.
Kline said a promised $108,000 grant from the state's tobacco fund will help cut the deficit.
Norton, which had contracted with Barberton's Health Department until its contract ran out May 31, has decided to contract with the county.
Genet said that decision cost his city $300,000.
Genet said if the city were to merge with the county it would result in a $500,000-a-year savings.
Among the topics raised Wednesday were concerns that the merger discussion was moving too quickly and whether the quality of care, especially students and children in the WIC program, would be compromised.
Genet said his hope is that a merger would actually create stability in the health safety net for Barberton residents.
''Every year the Health Department gets thrown under the bus'' with budget cuts and layoffs, the mayor said.
Gene Nixon, the county's health commissioner, said he wanted to work out a deal that would offer good service to the residents, hire as many of the displaced employees as possible and provide ''not just basic public health services, but quality services.''
The mayor said he has no timeline for a merger, but if the decision is made to contract with the county there will be legal issues that will take time to work through.
Linda Golz can be reached at 330-996-3640 or lgolz@thebeaconjournal.com.
Have faith in the Mayor. . .
I voted for the guy. I'll just say that I don't like the direction he has been taking the city down. It's not the direction I thought when he was campaigning.
Mayor Don is in the same game. Akron plans to merge it's health department with the county. A fesability study is due in October (they already know it's fesable) the merger will then take place in 18 to 24 months after that.
Next comes police, then fire. Consolidate and save, folks. Consolidate and save.
