August 7, 2024 |
Photo – MHCC – Bigfoot99 file photo
An up or down vote on a hospital district tax will be on the ballot in November. The Carbon Country Commissioners voted to put the fate of Memorial Hospital Of Carbon County in the hands of voters on Tuesday.
In June of this year, the hospital’s board of Trustees asked the county commissioners to add a mill levy-supported hospital district to the 2024 ballot. The hospital board members said a taxpayer funded healthcare district is the only way to ensure the facility will receive enough money to remain in business. The proposed 3-mill property tax levy is expected to generate an additional $1.5 million a year for the hospital.
Yesterday, following the required 45 days of public notice, the Carbon County Commissioners opened a public hearing on the hospital district’s inclusion on November’s ballot. Memorial Hospital Director of Strategic Operations Stephanie Hinkle explained the boundaries of the proposed hospital district. Hinkle said the hospital board purposely left out municipalities already covered by existing healthcare districts.
Memorial Hospital of Carbon County Board of Trustees member Mark Kostovney said he has been involved in emergency medicine for 32 years. Kostovney, who is also the chief of the Hanna Fire Department, specifically asked for Hanna to be included in the hospital district boundary. Kostovney said he believes that the people who use Memorial Hospital should financially support the facility.
Director of Nursing at Memorial Hospital Jessica Seldomridge emphasized the need for fast medical care. Seldomridge said the hospital’s proximity saves lives.
Rawlins Mayor Terry Weickum spoke on behalf of the hospital district. Mayor Weickum said having a medical facility close by encourages businesses to operate in the area. The Rawlins mayor said Memorial Hospital is the only critical care hospital in the state without an additional funding source outside of seeing patients.
Carbon County Search and Rescue Coordinator and Michael’s Big City Steakhouse owner Mike Lujan described his childhood experience of being hospitalized in Rawlins. Lujan said the community must step up to keep the medical facility open for business.
Sheriff Alex Bakken said he is required to provide medical care for inmates of the county jail. That duty will be very difficult to perform if Memorial Hospital is forced to shut down, said Sheriff Bakken.
Not everyone at yesterday’s county commissioners meeting expressed their support for the proposed hospital district. Rawlins resident and retired Army veteran Doug Pierce said inflation is hurting everyone in Carbon County. Pierce asked why taxpayers are being asked to contribute money they don’t have to the hospital.
Hanna resident Ellen Freeman agreed that Memorial Hospital benefits the county. However, Freeman, who runs the Heart of Hanna thrift store, said the tax burden from the hospital district will hurt some residents.
Commissioner Travis Moore read a letter from Encampment resident John Smith. In his letter, Smith said the existing Memorial Hospital Board of Trustees lacks the knowledge or time to run the hospital successfully. Smith said in the past, the Memorial Hospital board refused to financially support the Platte Valley Clinic. However, when work began on the North Platte Valley Medical Center, Smith said supposedly out of spite, the hospital board found the money to build two new clinics, including one in Saratoga.
Following the public meeting, the county commissioners expressed their opinions about the hospital district. Commissioner John Johnson said he believes the measure should be decided on by the voters.
The Carbon County Commissioners concluded the discussion by unanimously voting to add the creation of a taxpayer funded hospital district to November’s ballot.
At the same time, voters in Rawlins, Sinclair and Hanna will also be asked to choose a board of directors to lead the hospital district. Candidate filing for the hospital district board of directors begins today. All applications for board positions must be submitted to the Carbon County Clerk’s Office by 5:00 pm on August 26th.
