Shortly after his election, Mayor Anan Abu-Taleb made plain his determination to eliminate Oak Park’s Public Health Department. Well, as budget numbers for 2016 are being floated by the village manager, it seems clear that while Abu-Taleb cannot claim a full victory, a mighty whack is being taken on the department’s funding.
As we reported last week, a longtime veteran of the department has been booted upstairs into the vacant post of health department director. That he will continue to perform his current duties as environmental services manager suggests the diminishing scope of the department. The duties of another health department staffer will be shifted along with the employee into a vacant training post within the police department.
While we have expressed concerns over some of Manager Cara Pavlicek’s efforts at consolidating departments within her own office, these proposed cost cuts seem reasonable in an organization with a clear directive to reduce spending and hold the line on taxes.
That the changes are being made while preserving the employment of two veteran staffers is a positive reflection on the village.
