NOVEMBER 11, 2024|
Photo – MHCC – Bigfoot99 file photo
The Carbon County Clerk’s Office has released the official 2024 election results.
This year’s ballot not only included the usual federal, state, and local elections, but also two new items: Constitutional Amendment A, which will allow the Wyoming state legislature to adjust taxes on residential properties independently from commercial properties, and the formation of a taxpayer-funded healthcare district to support Memorial Hospital of Carbon County.
Voters in Rawlins, Sinclair, and Hanna were asked to decide on the creation of the special hospital district. The measure was narrowly defeated by just 89 votes. Out of the 3,429 total votes cast, 1,670 were for the formation of the hospital district, with the majority, 1,759, opposed.
The people of Rawlins Ward One, which covers the south side of the city, were evenly divided when it came to the formation of the Memorial Hospital special healthcare district. Out of 448 total votes cast, 230 were against, while 218 were for, a difference of only 12 votes.
Rawlins Ward One dash Two encompasses the central and eastern sections of the city. Voters supported the creation of the hospital district, although not by much. Out of a total 287 votes, 146 were for, while 141 were against, a difference of only 5 votes.
Rawlins Ward Two covers the Highland Hills section of the city. Here, the Memorial Hospital of Carbon County special healthcare district was a close race. Only five more voters were against the formation of the hospital district, which was enough to defeat the measure, 291 to 286.
Sunny Side voters in Ward Two dash Two narrowly defeated the measure, with a final tally of 251 for and 260 against, a difference of only nine votes.
Like other areas of the city, Rawlins Ward Three voters were evenly divided on the creation of the special hospital district. Two hundred and fourteen residents voted for the measure, with 207 against, a difference of only seven votes.
Staying in Rawlins, Ward Three dash Three voters defeated the special hospital district by 15 votes. Ward Three dash Three residents voted 334 to 319 against the measure.
North of Rawlins, in Muddy Gap, eight voters opposed the formation of the special district, with five in support.
Heading east to Sinclair, roughly 25% more voters supported the special hospital district than were against the measure, with a final tally of 98 to 75.
Moving north to the unincorporated area of Leo, voters were for the Memorial Hospital healthcare district. Of 24 votes, 14 were for the measure, with 10 against.
Despite not being in the boundary of the proposed hospital district, ten Medicine Bow voters still weighed in on the measure. Medicine Bow is already part of its own taxpayer funded Rural Health Care District. Unsurprisingly, of the ten voters who cast ballots on the measure, seven were opposed.
Next door, in Hanna, residents rejected the formation of the Memorial Hospital healthcare district, 195 to 114.
Three Baggs residents cast their votes for the Memorial Hospital special healthcare district. Of those three, two were in favor with one opposed.
Despite several months of intensive public outreach, the hospital district failed. Without the proposed $1.5 million generated by the district, Memorial Hospital staff must change the way the healthcare facility does business. Hospital officials have said they will continue to pursue a taxpayer funded special district on future ballots. Bigfoot99 will have an interview with MHCC Chief Operating Officer Stephanie Hinkle later this week.
