Franklin county voters to consider additional half-cent sales tax for indigent health care

            Local voters will be asked to vote this year on a new tax to help pay for indigent care at the local hospital.

The county commission agreed Tuesday to set up a referendum for a half cent sales tax to help cover the medical costs for indigent patients.

That expense is currently being covered by the hospital.

If voters approve the tax it would allow the hospital to take money it is currently spending on indigent care and spend it on ambulance services.

It would also have the benefit of allowing the county to end its 505 thousand dollar annual subsidy to the hospital.

There is already a one-cent sales tax in place for medical services.

Half of the money raised through the existing tax helps fund operations at the hospital and the two local medical clinics; the other half is earmarked for building a new hospital building in Apalachicola.

The existing tax has already paid for the construction of a medical clinic in Carrabelle.

At this point commissioners have only approved holding a referendum on the issue; the county attorney is now working on the exact wording of the referendum which commissioners will have to approve at their first meeting in September.

The county is under a short timeline to get the referendum language approved so it can go before the voters in November.

If voters approve the half-cent sales tax it would take effect on July the 1^st.

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