BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) \u2014 The Kern County Board of Supervisors is rejecting the Grand Jury\u2019s recommendations to restore the Public Health Department\u2019s budget as well as the affected programs and services, according to a proposed response included in the meeting agenda for Tuesday.<\/p>\n
In late March of 2025, the county received notice that some funding it received from the federal government through the state had a stop work order placed on it, according to Director of Kern County Public Health Brynn Carrigan.<\/p>\n
The county was receiving about $10.5 million per year to provide different services to the community, Carrigan said.<\/p>\n
In August<\/a>, the Board approved a 25% budget cut to the Department of Public Health. The budget decreased from $51.1 million to $38.2 million in a year.<\/p>\n Kern County Grand Jury urges officials to restore Public Health budget, services <\/a><\/p>\n The department also laid off 27 employees and deleted eight vacant positions.<\/p>\n On Nov. 24, the Kern County Grand Jury<\/a> published a report titled \u201cPublic Health \u2013 Budget Cuts vs. Safety Nets,\u201d in which it investigates the state of the county\u2019s health care services following the department\u2019s budget cuts.<\/p>\n In the report, the jury said the budget cut\u2019s impact is concerning. It also said the department\u2019s safety net for the community, which provides services for those without care, has greatly weakened.<\/p>\n The county disagreed with some of the jury\u2019s findings.<\/p>\n The county agreed restoring funds to budget levels in 2024-2025 could help maintain services and reducing workforce will, in turn, keep programs and services from being fully reintroduced.<\/p>\n The response also agreed the Public Health Department and Kern Medical provide the same clinical services.<\/p>\n While the county agreed the department received a significant federal and state funding cut, the changes the county made were \u201ccarefully planned\u201d to minimize the impact.<\/p>\n The county also admitted reducing appointment availability through the department could lead to longer wait times, but said those who need care sooner can be referred to other providers like Kern Medical, Clinica Sierra Vista and Omni Family Health.<\/p>\n The response said losing the grant writer position wouldn\u2019t completely eliminate the county\u2019s ability to find new grants because the County Administrative Office has another position that helps find and apply for grants.<\/p>\n The Grand Jury made several recommendations to the county regarding the public\u2019s health care services:<\/p>\n Restore the DPH budget to 2024-2025 level adjusted for inflation by May 1, 2026 to ensure proper restoration of services for the residents of Kern County<\/p>\n Provide additional funding for testing and treatment of STDs, diabetes, and Valley Fever by May 1, 2026.<\/p>\n Implement Public Service Announcements (PSAs) through local media platforms by Dec. 1, 2025, to inform the public of other clinic locations available to receive treatment<\/p>\n Restore clinic services to Shafter by Feb. 1, 2027<\/p>\n Restore services through their mobile unit by Feb. 1, 2027<\/p>\n Re-establish the grant writer position by Dec. 1, 2025, to acquire funding through available grants<\/p>\n Investigate merging the DPH clinical services into Kern Medical by June 30, 2026<\/p>\n The Board rejected five of the seven recommendations by the Grand Jury. The remaining two recommendations need \u201cfurther analysis,\u201d the proposed response said.<\/p>\n The Board said it will not restore the department\u2019s budget to the previous year\u2019s level adjusted for inflation, saying restoration would require reductions in other areas due to lost federal and state funding.<\/p>\n It also rejected restoring clinic services in the city of Shafter. The response said services have been limited and the number of patient visits have gone down since 2015 \u2014 there were 455 patient visits in 2015 and only 33 in 2024 \u2014 prior to funding cuts.<\/p>\n Public Health has worked with Omni Family Health who operates a federally qualified healthcare facility in Shafter and developed a referral process for all Shafter residents to use Omni Family Health\u2019s services, the response said.<\/p>\n The county also continues to provide field nursing services in all areas of Kern, including Shafter, according to the response.<\/p>\n County officials said they won\u2019t consider merging Public Health\u2019s clinical services into Kern Medical. They said a full closure of the department\u2019s clinical services could have \u201ccatastrophic impacts\u201d on the county\u2019s ability to respond to a mass medical emergency and would require more consideration.<\/p>\n The response said merging would make the county ineligible to receive emergency medical supplies from the Strategic National Stockpile \u2014 including emergency medications, vaccines or other therapeutic interventions \u2014 as the department would lack equipment, staff, training or licenses to manage those supplies.<\/p>\n Merging services into Kern Medical would also worsen the county\u2019s challenges with its health care infrastructure in large-scale emergencies, the response said.<\/p>\n \u201cKern County Public Health has the flexibility and support to quickly establish mass distribution centers, shelters, and alternative care sites, while regular healthcare facilities continue their regular care duties,\u201d the response read.<\/p>\n \u201cWithout a clinic, associated clinical staffing, and clinic infrastructure (supplies, medical record system, licenses), the Department will no longer have the ability to immediately administer vaccinations or medications to the public.<\/p>\n Officials also said they wouldn\u2019t re-establish the grant writer position.<\/p>\n The county will further analyze the possibility of restoring mobile unit services and providing more funding for sexually transmitted diseases, diabetes and Valley Fever testing and treatment, the response said.<\/p>\n Watch \u2018After Sunrise\u2019 on KGET+; Click to learn how to get KGET+ on your smart TV devices <\/a><\/p>\n The Board of Supervisors is slated to approve the proposed response on Tuesday to be submitted to the Presiding Judge of the Kern County Superior Court, according to the agenda.<\/p>\n The meeting is scheduled for 2 p.m. at 1115 Truxtun Ave.<\/p>\n Read the full proposed response by the Board of Supervisors below.<\/p>\n Kern BOS Proposed Response to Public Health \u2013 Budget Cuts Vs. Safety Net<\/a>Download<\/a><\/p>\n Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.<\/p>\n