CCMH to put tax levy increase on ballot

During the Jan 21, 2019, meeting of the Cedar County Memorial Board of Trustees meeting, hospital CEO Jana Witt told the board that the original tax levy for the hospital had been set at 0.2000 on Feb. 3, 1961 and had never been increased. According to Commissioner Marlon Collins, there has never been at attempt to increase the levy. He also said that it is the Hancock amendment that is keeping it at 0.1528. (The Hancock Amendment was passed in the early 80’s to stabilize the property values in boom or bust economies. It stabilizes the property values through a state formula. Since property values in Cedar County have gone up, the original .2000 is now .1528.) Witt mentioned that the current levy supports the hospital and the County Health Department.

The board voted to place on the April 2019 ballot a tax levy increase to 0.800 to achieve an actual levy of 0.6112. The board requested that the ballot language include that this is the first time in 58 years that CCMH has ever requested an increase in the tax levy.

Present at the meeting were Trustees Judy Renn – president, Carla Griffin – vice president; John Walker  – secretary/treasurer,  Board Member Julia Phillips, Witt, Carla Gilbert – director of finance, Rob Simon – RN/CNO, Bryan Breckenridge – attorney and Terri Heitz, – recording secretary and by phone Board Member Marvin Manring

Gilbert mentioned that in order to provide Price Transparency, she has listed CCMH prices on-line so patients have an opportunity to review and compare prices. That information is available on the hospital’s webpage.

Witt informed the board that since Mercy Ft. Scott’s closure, Midwest Pathology is no longer providing pathology service to CCMH. The hospital has entered into a new agreement with Pathology Laboratory Association effective the first of this year.

Simon told the board that the Nursing Department is fully staffed.

Gilbert said that the November total operating revenue of $1,389,462 was very low. She said she had contacted Meditech, their medical records pprovider, and they are checking to see if something was missed.