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Medical Care Tax May Go On Ballot

Medical Care Tax May Go On Ballot image
Parent Issue
Day
3
Month
March
Year
1971
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Local persons and groups who have been urging the county to continue opeiating a medical care facility may in the future get a chance to back up their vmrds with a vote. The County Board of Commissioners yesterday authorized a study to determine the feasibility of placing a millage or bonding proposal before the voters to build a new facility. The report is to be prepared by the board's Administration and Taxation and Property Committees and brought back to the full board in 60 days. The proposal was submitted by Cmsr. James Cregar of Ypsilanti Township, who noted the county has been faced with threats to close the. present facility for years, but has done little to alleviate the situation. The present facility, at Washtenaw and Platt, must close operations at the end of June, and will no longev receive state financial support after the first part of April. Thf idea of allowing county voters to decido on whether or not a new facility shöufd be built gained near-unanimous support from the commissioners, even though some objected to parts of Cregar's resolution. Cmsr. O. Herbert Ellis of Ann Arbor said he favored the idea, but did not want to pass a "quickie." Beiore the proposal should go to the voters, he said, the county must determine what the state and federal governments' policies toward reimbursement for medical care will be in the future. Ellis and Cmsr. Jay L. Bradbury of Lima Township were the only commissioners to vote against the resolution. Cregar's motion originally called for the study to be completed in 30 days, but this was doubled to allow time for more study. Cmsr. David R. Byrd of Ann Arbor said there are "loads" of reports on building a new facility, but said additional time was needed to involve all the concerned citizens and groups in thé county who support the county's medical care program. The report on the proposal will have to outline, among other things, the amount of money needed to build a new facility. A state official last week told - commissioners a new building would p r o b a b 1 y cost from $14,000 to $20,000 per bed. Past reports have advocated a new 125-bed facility, placing the cost between $1,750,000 to $2.5 million. County Administrator K. Ross Childs suggested the eommittees should look ) into the possibility of also seeking funds for operating a new facility. Besides the construction costs, he said it would take from $500,000 to $750,000 each year in I county funds to opérate a new facility. I Childs also noted the county is faced I with three major building proposals in I the near future, and consideraron might I be given to including all of them in the! same proposal. He said Kent County I presently has a continuing millage, vot-l ed on periodically by county residents, I that is used for nothing but capital im-l provements. The three major building I proposals would be for a jail, a fourth I circuit court, and the medical care I facility. If the board does decide to go to the I public for funds to build a new facility, I it will be the second time in five years. I In 1966 the county proposed a $4 million I bond issue for a new facility, but voters I turned it down 21,000 to 13,000. At that I same time, the voters also rejected a courtroom addition to the County Building, while approving construction of the new Juvenile Court Center. But even if the county does decide to go for a new facility, it still faces a decisión of what to do with the present patients who must be relocated by July. The options open to the county are to either lease space in a local nursing I home and continue the program, which is believed to be an expensive proposition, or to find space in area nursing homes for the 67 patients. ■ I Which of these two alternatives the I county will choose may be more clear I Thursday when the Health, Education I and Welfare Committee will receive a I financial report on the leasing prospect. I The committee is also expected to I receive proposals from the Social 1 vices Board, which operates the facility, I to either lease or find beds in local insti-B tutions. M

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