By Ann McCreary
Voters agreed to pay more in annual property taxes to Three Rivers Hospital in Brewster, but rejected a one-time tax increase in last week’s general election.
The hospital’s levy lid lift was narrowly winning as of Monday (Nov. 9) with less than 400 votes in the county to be counted. The vote count reported by the Okanogan County auditor’s office was 1,395, or 50.8 percent in favor of raising the tax levy, and 1,351, or 49.2 percent, opposed.
“It makes me feel very supported by our community,” said Scott Graham, chief executive officer of Three Rivers Hospital.
The hospital placed two tax propositions on the ballot. The levy lid lift adds 12 cents to the hospital’s current annual rate of 63 cents per $1,000 valuation. That brings the annual tax bill to $75 per $100,000.
The hospital also asked voters to approve an excess levy of $1 per $1,000 of assessed valuation, or $100 per $100,000, to be paid one time in 2016. While voters were narrowly in favor of the measure by 1,409 votes, or 51.12 percent, to 1,347 votes, or 48.88 percent, the proposition requires a supermajority of at least 60 percent of votes cast to win.
The voter-approved levy lid lift will generate about $200,000 per year, enough for the hospital to accomplish its primary goal of relocating its emergency department to a more recently remodeled clinic area at the hospital, Graham said.
The hospital will be able to pay for upgrades to the heating and cooling system in the new emergency room area to comply with health codes, he said. The emergency department upgrade will provide more examination space and improve the emergency room staff’s ability to monitor patients, hospital officials said.
Both levy propositions appeared to be going down to defeat in early results after Tuesday’s election, but that changed after votes were counted at the end of last week.
Graham said he was surprised and delighted that the levy lid lift has apparently passed. He said the hospital staff has a strategic planning meeting this week, and he had expected to talk about how to proceed without additional tax revenues.
“This is going to change the conversation,” he said. “This is going to give us enough to move ahead with the emergency room. Our staff will be so thrilled to see that accomplished.”
Three Rivers Hospital is a public, nonprofit hospital that serves a large area of Okanogan and Douglas counties, including the Methow Valley.
Remaining ballots will be counted by county elections officials on Nov. 12, and the election results will be certified Nov. 24.
