When faced with the decision to mark yes or no on their ballots for local levy or bond issues, taxpayers generally ask themselves three important questions:
1) What will this cost me?
2) Is it essential to my life – or does it add value to my community?
3) Does the entity asking for my money have a solid track record of responsible use of public funds, and is that reflected in the proposal?
In the case of Proposition 1 in support of Cascade Valley Hospital in Arlington, the answers to these questions earn this measure a solid yes vote on the May 15 ballot.
A comprehensive and much-needed facility upgrade for the hospital drives this bond request, which requires a 60 percent supermajority to pass. The proposal represents the work of a broad-based coalition of community members, the hospital’s elected board, administrators, paramedics, patients and staff. They’ve done their homework and are presenting a practical, responsible and achievable plan to address critical health and safety issues impacting their aging facility.
Most of the $46.8 million sought will be used to expand the extremely cramped emergency room, add space for modern technology (ultrasound, CT, MRI and laboratory equipment), increase the number of patient beds and re-establish the essential heli-pad, which allows for rapid helicopter transport of severely injured patients.
In all, 54,000 square feet of new space would be added and 28,000 square feet would be remodeled in the main hospital building. Some 16,000 square feet of outdated, 50-year-old buildings would be demolished.
The proposition would cost homeowners in the hospital district an estimated 81 cents per $1,000 of assessed value – about $243 per year for the owner of a $300,000 home. The hospital’s past performance should inspire voter confidence that the debt will be managed responsibly. And it’s important to note that the hospital can’t collect a penny more than voters authorize. As the hospital district’s population grows and more people are paying into it, the tax rate associated with this measure will fall.
That rapidly rising population makes local emergency care more essential than ever to the community’s health and safety. Traffic congestion is a growing challenge for emergency transport crews, increasing the value of a local hospital capable of handling local emergencies.
Backers of Proposition 1 have done a thorough job analyzing the issues and defining the need. Now it’s up to voters to show their support for a modern, well-equipped hospital with enough room to keep serving the community well.
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