Ephrata hospital bond fails with voters for second time
NANCE BESTON | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 5 months AGO
The $30 million Columbia Basin Hospital bond failed with voters for a second time, according to Nov. 4 ballot counts. The proposition needed at least 60% of people to vote in favor; around 44% voted in favor of it. Above, hospital staff discuss the bond with residents in July.
FILE PHOTO
EPHRATA – Columbia Basin Hospital ran its $30 million bond proposition for a second time during the general election. The proposition, as of the 8 p.m. Nov. 4 ballot count, has been rejected with about 1,100 votes, or nearly 56% of voters against it. Around 44%, or almost 830 people, voted in favor of the bond. There are still around 900 ballots to count. The election will be certified Nov. 20.
During the primary election, the proposition was rejected by about 1,200 votes or nearly 54%. Around 46%, or close to 1,000 people, voted in favor of the proposition.
The proposition would have needed at least 60% of voters in favor for it to pass.
The bond, if it had passed, would have been used for clinic expansion, new medical equipment, a retail pharmacy, behavioral health spaces, community space and several smaller projects.
The total property tax rate for landowners would be $1.83 per $1,000 of assessed value if the bond had passed. Of this, around 91 cents would have been for the new bond. Taxpayers will still pay around 90 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, with around 60 cents coming from the 2012 bond and about 30 cents coming from the maintenance and operations levy.
Chief Executive Officer Rosalinda Kibby and Public Information Officer Susan Scheib were contacted for comment, but did not respond by press time.
However, in a previous interview with the Columbia Basin Herald, Kibby said the hospital will likely move forward with a handful of the projects.
“It’s just going to take longer to get to where we need to be,” Kibby said. “There is a small amount of internal space we can still renovate to make more room for patient care.”
It is unknown at this time whether the hospital will bring the bond to voters next year. According to RCW 84.52.056, the same bond may only be run twice in a calendar year.
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