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News: Local

West voters to determine whether to create tax district for hospital

By AUDREY GARZA/Tribune-Herald staff writer

WEST — West voters would have the final say on whether a

taxing entity will be created to keep their community hospital alive under

legislation to be filed Monday.

Rep. Jim Dunnam, D-Waco, and state Sen. Sibley,

R-Waco, will file the so-called local bill in the Legislature Monday. It would

give a temporary board for the newly created West Medical District the authority

to schedule an election on creating a taxing entity to support the hospital.

The new West Medical District would have the same

boundaries as the West Independent School District.

West Hospital Authority Board President Pareya

said the bill is the last option to keep the hospital operating in West.

Officials with Hillcrest Health Systems, which leases

the building owned by the West Hospital Authority, have voiced concerns about

the lack of revenues generated at the hospital. Last year, the hospital lost

$1,224,816.

The lease contract is scheduled to expire May 2002,

after which Hillcrest could withdraw from the West facility.

West residents heard details about the hospital's

options at t wo town meetings last week and Wednesday. ,

president and CEO of Community Health Corporation of Dallas, told the audiences

the hospital cannot cut expenses any more than it already has in an effort to

break even.

Pareya said the town hall meetings were positive.

" It's hard to gage... Everybody was cordial; they asked

wonderful questions, " Pareya said. " There were two or three who were opposed to

it, which of course, we welcome that input. "

Pareya said the West Hospital Authority Board voted

unanimously Thursday to ask Sibley and Dunnam to file the bill. The legislators

were notified Friday morning and agreed. The established West Hospital Authority

Board would continue to exist, Pareya said, but have no control over the taxing

entity called West Medical District.

The bill must be filed by Monday under legislative

rules. Sibley's office will file the bill in the Senate Monday with an

anticipated hearing date of May 1. Dunnam's office will file the House version

of the bill.

Pareya, a McLennan County justice of the peace, said

hospital board members felt voters should make the final decision on the

hospital's fate.

" Even though there might be a lot of negatives out

there, we still owe it to those people who are proponents of the measure to have

their right to vote and also give the opponents their right to vote as well, " he

said. " Let's just go ahead and let the people vote on it, do it the democratic

way, do it the fair way. "

The draft bill Pareya proposed to Dunnam and Sibley

would establish seven " temporary " directors of the new medical district:

Crowder, Roby Urbanovsky, Larry Sparks, Jeanette Karlik, Robby Payne, Tommy

Muska and Kirk Wines.

That board would, by majority vote, determine a date for

the election. The 30-page draft bill also outlines the powers and

responsibilities of the medical district.

Pareya said he does not expect significant changes to be

made to the draft before it is filed.

Jay McCullough, chief of staff for Dunnam, said his

office is communicating with Sibley's Senate office staff about the bill.

" It's quicker to move things through the Senate. So I

think what we're probably going to see is that bill come out of the Senate and

come over here to the House before we can get our House bill through the process

here, " McCullough said.

Sibley's press secretary Kirsten Voinis had said

previously that the lawmakers are working with a short timeline on the bill.

She said legislative committees cannot meet after May

11. The legislature adjourns May 28. That leaves the period from Monday through

May 11 to get the House and Senate versions of the bill out of committees and to

the full chambers for a vote.

Audrey Garza can be reached at agarza@... or

757-5748.

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