Plea: ‘Don’t tax (only) us’

Speakers at Thursday’s public hearing on health care and hospital district taxes covered a variety of issues but the consensus was clear.

They want certain kinds of health care but don’t want more property taxes.

Five hospital district board members listened to 10 speakers in the church’s fellowship as the board prepares whether to impose a proposed 16.9-cent property tax to fund a $200,000 annual obligation for a new St. Joseph’s/Health Point clinic or to pursue other avenues.

Some solutions were proposed, ranging from expanding the hospital district boundaries to those of the Rockdale Independent School District to scrapping the hospital district and instituting a countywide health care district.

Several speakers from the gathering of about 40 expressed a preference for an emergency room facility instead of the new clinic, which is expected to be open this fall.

But most simply asked the board not to impose what would be a new tax.

“We’re taxed out,” Kenny Kilcrease said.

OPTIONS—The hospital board, which will meet again at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, is looking at possible options to the 16.9-percent property tax.

One would be to reclaim the half-cent sales tax, once collected by the hospital district, now collected by the Rockdale Municipal Development District (MDD).

“Most people I’ve talked to think that’s an excellent idea,” City Council Member Belinda Hillhouse, told the board.

For 2019 so far, up through the August check disbursements from the state, the MDD is receiving $267,288, according to the state comptroller.

County Judge Steve Young said he believes economic development is the solution to the tax situation.

“The trouble is we don’t have enough people in this county,” he said. “The answer is not to do away with the MDD. It’s one entity which has a chance to bring in more people through economic development.”

Young said there have been past successes in bringing businesses to the county including the Bitmain and Whinstone cryptocurrenty mining projects—one online and one proposed—at the former Alcoa smelter.

He said a new solar energy facility will go in at Burlington in far northern Milam County. “It’s valued at $750,000,” he said.

Young hinted at larger projects to come.

“Real soon, great things are coming to that Alcoa site,” he said. “It’s going to change the way we think in Milam County. These are some of the things the MDD has been working on, assisting Alcoa with the development.”

On June 10, a representative of Round Rock-based Epcor USA appeared before the Rockdale City Council to submit a bid to sell the city water to be generated by a project by an as-yet-unnamed future tenant of Alcoa land.

Michael Irlbeck told The Reporter he could not give details but added “I would not be here tonight if I did not think this was going to happen.”

ER—Several speakers urged the board to give priority to obtaining an emergency room instead of a clinic.

Dave Melton, who works for a local motel, noted an incident in which a man fell face-first on concrete.

“It took 40 minutes to get an ambulance there and would have taken another 30 to get him to an emergency room,” Melton said. “Someone is going to die.”

The board, which was not permitted to respond to questions from the floor at the hearing, according to Burns—was also asked why work was permitted to begin at the new clinic before funding was assured.

CHI-St. Joseph’s/Health Point is spending $245,000 to renovate Suite B at the former Richards Memorial Hospital for the clinic.

Burns, and hospital district members, have expressed hope once the clinic opens St. Joseph’s will consider more facilities including a 24/7 trauma center, such as the one in operation at the Caldwell St. Joseph’s/Health Point facility.

FAIRNESS—A number of speakers addressed the question of a property tax only for Rockdale residents noting the facilities will be used by area residents.

Hillhouse pointed out, through their taxes, Rock-dale residents already pay $118,000 annually to maintain ambulance service for the area.

“It’s not fair to ask us to pay for this, too,” he said.

Collier Perry called for a “paradigm shift,” and asked for the burden to be shared by Milam County taxpayers.

He said counties under 75,000 have the ability to create such a district, with the current Rockdale Hospital District being dissolved.

“That would spread the tax burden to the whole county,” he said.

An idea which would also spread the tax burden is to expand the hospital district to the boundaries of the Rockdale ISD, which stretches south to the Lee County line and northwest to near Davilla and Val Verde.

That would require two elections, one each in the current hospital district (city limits) and one in the area to be annexed.

ACCOUNTABILITY—

Barbara Gross asked the board if it was receiving in formation during the Little River Healthcare era, which led to the hospital’s closing.

Burns said directors were receiving information about the Rockdale hospital but noted: “They were operating eight other entities in other towns and cities and we were not privy to that information.”