The Marshall County Council members reviewed an additional appropriation request for Blue Zones health initiative Monday morning.
The request comes before the initiative is approved for additional funding through the Indiana Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative (READI) Grant program. If Blue Zones is not approved through READI, then the money would simply not be utilized toward that initiative. The announcement is expected to be released Thursday, December 15.
The council previously supported the use of American Rescue Plan Act funds of $525,000 by a vote of 5-2 in a public meeting in August. Government leaders in Bremen, Plymouth, Culver, and Bourbon have also agreed to support Blue Zones for a combined total over $700,000.
Linda Yoder, a co-chair of the Marshall County Crossroads Health and Wellness Committee who helped bring this proposal to county officials, noted that Blue Zones is active in 70 communities in the country where infrastructure pieces would be put into place so residents can make healthier choices.
“We’ve got great professionals in our county that have been doing programs for years, but the numbers are getting worse instead of better,” explained Yoder. “This was an opportunity to look at leveraging all of the information that they’ve gathered working in those 70 communities and putting it in place to address the policy changes, do the focus where it has the most opportunity for change.”
Several Marshall County residents voiced their opposition to the expenditure Monday morning as they do not believe the program would be beneficial to the residents of the county for the total cost of over $2.3 million. Risk and freedom of choice were factors also mentioned as well as more focus on local healthcare issues.
Councilman Tim Harman commented that he believed that the funding request goes against the regulations of American Rescue Plan Act funds, but it was a funding request approved by Marshall County Commissioners. He also said that policies could be developed that could be mandated, and noted there are other things in government that the American Rescue Plan Act funds could cover, including a 35-53 percent increase in insurance.
Harman stated, “To spend taxpayer dollars on a speculative program – policy and initiatives? What is that? This is not the role of county government.”
Councilman Jesse Bohannon made a motion to table the request in order for the new council members to vote on the matter. It failed with a vote of 5-2 with Bohannon and Harman in support of the motion and Heath Thornton, James Masterson, Mandy Campbell, Jon VanVactor, and Steve Harper against the motion.
VanVactor made a motion to approve the appropriation with Masterson seconding the motion. Before the vote was taken, Harman commented that he would file a grievance with the State Board of Accounts as he believes the majority of the council is not following county ordinance on how to appropriate the American Rescue Plan Act funds as set out by the commissioners.
The motion was approved by a vote of 5-2 with Heath Thornton, James Masterson, Mandy Campbell, Jon VanVactor, and Steve Harper in favor of the vote. Tim Harman and Jesse Bohannon voted against the vote.
