The Rockdale Hospital District is now formally seeking tax money in its attempts to get CHI-St. Joseph’s of Bryan to restore some health services to the former Richards Memorial Hospital campus.
Dick Burns, Rockdale Hospital District board chair, asked the city council to commit $150,000 of the city’s sales tax collections to the effort Monday as the council met at City Hall.
Mayor John King said the city would look at the request during budgeting time but noted that kind of commitment wasn’t likely, noting a 6.5-cent city tax increase would almost be assured.
He pointed out the hospital district has the option to ask voters to reinstate an ad valorem tax that’s been at zero for the past 12 years.
“Either way it’s going to come out of the taxpayers’ pockets,” King said.
Water was much on the minds of the council, and visitors, Monday. The council heard complaints about drainage and flooding issues and heard presentations from two entities to provide water to the city, in lieu of Rockdale continuing to maintain water treatment facilities.
The city also, for now, turned down a request to swap land now used as a city street for a segment at Fair Park.
HEALTH CARE—As was first reported in this newspaper March 28, Burns said the district is in negotiations with St. Joseph’s to provide clinic facilities, and possibly an emergency room or urgent care, at the hospital, closed since December.
Some kind of guaranteed revenue stream is being sought. Until 2010 a half-cent sales tax went to hospital operations. That was changed by an election which created the Rockdale Municipal Development District, and the funding has gone to the MDD.
Burns said the district is also asking the MDD for $150,000. He said the commitments would be “continuing.”
“We don’t have it,” Mayor King said. “We’ve got things we can’t fund right now.” King said he was in favor of health care facilities returning but added: “I’m just laying out the facts.”
The groundwork has already been laid for resumption of the property tax to fund any new health care, which King said would require an election.
In March, county commissioners agreed to have the county collect the ad valorem tax for the hospital district if it is imposed.
Burns said “hopefully this week” the hospital buildings will be released to the district, a possible major step toward signing an agreement for some kind of health care operation.
“It will not be another hospital,” Burns said.
DRAINAGE—Allday Street resident April Eschberger presented photos of flooding at her home she said was caused by drainage patterns, and drainage from the Allday Street water tower. “That’s happened at least five times,” she said.
Later in the meeting the city agreed to a drainage study of several often-flooded locations.
Whittaker said the city will contact Freese & Nichols, the company which erected the Allday Street water tower.
WATER—The council agreed to do a rate study comparing rates from two water entities, who made proposals to sell the city already treated water, and current plans to construct a new treatment facility.
SWAP—The council turned down a proposal from Perry & Perry Builders to swap land the company says it owns north of the Old City Cemetery, currently used as a street, for a segment of Fair Park which once contained the horse track starting gate.
Rockdale Fair Association members opposed the idea and the RFA’s James Birk-head said the Association would invoke its “first right of refusal” if the swap were okayed.
Birkhead maintained the RFA has the right of refusal due to a memorandum of understanding (MOU) negotiated with the city in 2010 and 2011.
In other business, former council member Joyce Dalley reported on efforts to ease a funding situation which threatened some residents in Rockdale Housing Authority residences with possible eviction.
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