Franklin County Commissioners have agreed to
redirect proceeds from a local health care sales tax to help Weems Memorial Hospital pay its
past due bills.
Local voters approved the sales tax increase in
2007 – the proceeds of the tax will be used to pay for a new urgent care clinic
in Carrabelle and to upgrade or replace the aging hospital in Apalachicola.
The Carrabelle clinic is already in operation, the
application for constructing a new hospital in Apalachicola is still
under review with the federal government.
On Tuesday the county commission agreed to let the
hospital use the next 6 months of tax revenue, about 250 thousand dollars, to
catch up on some overdue bills.
The hospital will use the money plus money from its
own billing to pay off Tallahassee Memorial Hospital to the
tune of 265 thousand dollars and to pay a lawsuit with the hospitals old
emergency room management team for another 130 thousand dollars.
Board members said they will allow the hospital to
use the tax revenues collected between last November and next April to help in
those payments.
Commissioner Noah Lockley said this is the best
time to make this move while the new hospital project is being held up.
Commission chairman Pinki Jackel said the Hospital
is a major economic generator for Franklin county
to the tune of 6 million dollars and she feels helping the hospital is one of
the most financially responsible actions the county commission can take.
http://www.oysterradio.com e-mail manager@oysterradio.com with comments
No comments:
Post a Comment