CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The Cabell-Huntington Health Department planned to pave its parking lot this year, but the project has been postponed.

The department's chief health officer, Dr. Harry Tweel, recently found out that the agency must pay the state $25,740 for computers and technical assistance - a payment retroactive to July 1.

"This wasn't in our budget," Tweel said last week. "Something has to go. That's the financial reality."

Across the state, local health departments must pony up a combined $350,000 this year for technology support - a service the Department of Health and Human Resources provided at no charge during the past decade. The change came after the state Office of Technology took over the DHHR's electronic communication systems, including those used by health departments.

In response, the local health agencies have been forced to snip their budgets by $1,700 to $25,740 this year, depending on how many computers they have connected to the state system.

"It's going to create a big burden for all of the health departments," said Bill Kearns, chief administrator for the Berkeley County Health Department. "We don't have any ability to dispute this."

Indeed, if health departments fail to pay up, they will have the fee automatically subtracted from their annual state funding allocation.

DHHR Secretary Martha Walker notified the health departments about the change during a meeting last month .

"It kind of blindsided us," said Brenda Isaac, president of the Kanawha-Charleston health board, which now must pay the state $17,577 a year to stay on the state network. "Nobody told us this was going to happen."

DHHR spokesman John Law said the agency has used federal threat-preparedness grants to buy new computers for local health departments and link them to the state electronic health network.

The DHHR also provided e-mail addresses for all local health department employees, and the state sent technicians to fix broken computers and servers at departments across West Virginia.

"This is a cost we can't afford to absorb for local health departments," Law said.

Some health administrators have complained about the per-computer charge levied by the state.

The department's chief health officer, Dr. Harry Tweel, recently found out that the agency must pay the state $25,740 for computers and technical assistance - a payment retroactive to July 1.

"This wasn't in our budget," Tweel said last week. "Something has to go. That's the financial reality."

Across the state, local health departments must pony up a combined $350,000 this year for technology support - a service the Department of Health and Human Resources provided at no charge during the past decade. The change came after the state Office of Technology took over the DHHR's electronic communication systems, including those used by health departments.

In response, the local health agencies have been forced to snip their budgets by $1,700 to $25,740 this year, depending on how many computers they have connected to the state system.

"It's going to create a big burden for all of the health departments," said Bill Kearns, chief administrator for the Berkeley County Health Department. "We don't have any ability to dispute this."

Indeed, if health departments fail to pay up, they will have the fee automatically subtracted from their annual state funding allocation.

DHHR Secretary Martha Walker notified the health departments about the change during a meeting last month .

"It kind of blindsided us," said Brenda Isaac, president of the Kanawha-Charleston health board, which now must pay the state $17,577 a year to stay on the state network. "Nobody told us this was going to happen."

DHHR spokesman John Law said the agency has used federal threat-preparedness grants to buy new computers for local health departments and link them to the state electronic health network.

The DHHR also provided e-mail addresses for all local health department employees, and the state sent technicians to fix broken computers and servers at departments across West Virginia.

"This is a cost we can't afford to absorb for local health departments," Law said.

Some health administrators have complained about the per-computer charge levied by the state.

The Cabell-Huntington Health Department, for instance, had a dozen additional older computers plugged into the state network for a special training session when the state technology office did its statewide computer count. That inflated the amount the Health Department owes, Tweel said.

"I understand what's happening," he said, "but I would have liked a heads-up."

Small health departments, such as those in Grant and Clay counties, might struggle the most to find the extra money. Grant County was charged $10,000 a year, Clay $4,600. Both health departments have only a handful of employees.

"Some of the little counties don't have the money," said Dr. Laura Gateley, who serves as the Clay County Health Department's health officer and Kanawha-Charleston Health Department's interim executive director, both part-time jobs. "We were already having trouble getting [DHHR technicians] up to Clay when the service was free."

The change has prompted some health departments to consider abandoning the state electronic health network.

The Kanawha-Charleston department already has a full-time information-technology manager to keep its Web site running, fix computers and oversee the agency's information systems.

Still, Isaac recognizes that staying connected to the state network has its advantages. The local departments receive information and alerts about disease outbreaks, immunization programs and investigations through the state system.

"We'll pay for it this year, but we may reach a point where we don't need the state's assistance," Isaac said. "It's something we'll have to monitor. The state does provide extra equipment and helps with upgrades. Those things may be worth what we have to pay."

Meanwhile, health departments are searching for additional funding to make up the unexpected cost.

The state Public Health Association, which represents local departments, has proposed using a portion of unused emergency funds that the state distributes to health departments for crisis situations each year.

A committee also is looking at applying for state grants and asking the Legislature for the money.

Reach Eric Eyre at erice...@wvgazette.com or 348-4869.