In all 25 precincts of Fayette County, the county Board of Health has a five-year, .5-mill renewal levy for program expenses and services up for passage at the Nov. 7 election.

Deputy health commissioner at the Fayette County Health Department, Leigh Cannon, recently spoke to the community about supporting the renewal levy. This is one of two levies the community has paid for since the late 1980s.

“My passion for public health runs deeps, so I am not running for office, but I do care about our health department,” Cannon said. “We have grown since I first started as the deputy seven years ago from 21 staff members to 41. That is because we have expanded programs and services, and have received great funding opportunities like the two levies that we have. We are asking for support for our smaller levy this year, the five-year. Next year we are going to be asking for support for the 10-year, but this one generates about $188,000 a year.”

Cannon said this is roughly 15 percent of the health department’s budget and the cost to homeowners is about $20 a year per $100,000 house. Between blood pressure checks, tuberculin skin test, flu shots and more, the health department relies on this funding to help continue some of these programs and services.

“We have a nurse practitioner now, so Family Planning which offers STD testing and Birth Control is offered weekly on Wednesdays but you should call and make an appointment,” Jeannie Bihl, health educator at the Fayette County Health Department, wrote to the Record-Herald recently. “Environmental is very busy making sure that our county has safe, clean restaurants to enjoy, and they also make sure that we have safe water and healthy sewage systems.”

“For the health department to continue to offer these programs, we are asking for the public to support our health levy! So as you go to the polls on November 7, please vote ‘yes’ to keep your community healthy and safe!” Bihl said.