Bexar County Public Health Director Andrea Guerrero-Guajardo said this week that her agency will continue its work after federal COVID relief funds under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) run out Jan. 1. County commissioners have agreed to continue funding some of the positions that otherwise would have been eliminated.
Commissioners budgeted five post-ARPA positions for the Preventative Health Division, effective Jan. 1 plus 10 post-ARPA positions for the Safety Team Action Response Program (STAR) through September 2027. The team provides case management for domestic violence intervention, handling an average of more than 3,100 cases a year.
The county public health department saw six positions cut from a staff of 28 during the tight county budget process this year. But Guerrero-Guajardo said a strong team is left to carry on their work…