Public-health finance director: 2026 revenues on track; 2027 budget includes COLA and market adjustments

Melissa Perla, public-health finance director, reviewed year-to-date revenue and expenditure trends and told the board she expects revenues to normalize by year-end despite some timing lags. "I fully expect that our revenues to come in at a 100%," Perla said, noting many categories run a month or more behind typical receipt timing.

Perla said personnel expenses are underspent largely because of turnover and timing and that the department's 2027 budget reflects roughly a $200,000-plus increase tied to market adjustments and a 3% cost-of-living adjustment approved by the commission. She described work with the finance team to reclassify some salary lines and to return savings to the city budget where appropriate; board members asked about the use and limits of opioid settlement funds, and staff said those funds are subject to specific allowable categories and are being used to support syringe-services operations and Narcan procurement.