Government

DHS Faces Funding Pressure From Minimum Wage Law, Abortion Restrictions, and OBBBA Compliance Mandates

Warning that this year’s budget will present significant challenges in meeting the growing needs of the community, Human Services Commissioner Averil George appeared before the Committee on Budget, Appropriations, and Finance on Wednesday to defend the department’s FY2026 budget request. DHS’s total budget is $297.2 million, inclusive of $228.1 million from federal sources, $69.16 million from the general fund, and other non-appropriated funding. According to Ms. George, the federal funding amount restores DHS to “pre-pandemic funding levels, but with less flexibility and greater constraints.” The general fund appropriation, meanwhile, saw a decrease of $1.8 million with “service needs and operation costs remaining high across the territory.”  “The general fund now covers less than a quarter of total DHS operations, Commissioner George reported. Local funds are therefore “stretched to pay for payroll, fringe, utilities, and critical support services.” According to Ms. George, every l...