Sonoma County Voters Pass Measure To Increase Parcel Tax To Fund Healdsburg District Hospital
Nearly three-fourths of Healdsburg hospital district residents who voted on Tuesday supported a measure to increase parcel taxes from $85 to $150 to fund the Healdsburg District Hospital in Sonoma County, the San Francisco Chronicle reports (Mead, San Francisco Chronicle, 4/15). Measure G, which won the support of 71.5% of voters in the special election, will raise an estimated $1.2 million per year, about 9% of the public hospital's annual $13.7 million budget. Supporters of the measure say it will provide funds needed to continue operations while the hospital "shifts to more profitable medical services" and could help maintain the hospital's emergency department, the Santa Rosa Press Democrat reports. Healdsburg already has raised $1 million for ED renovations, but the hospital "wanted a vote of confidence by voters" before beginning work, according to the Press Democrat. The Healdsburg hospital district parcel tax is the highest in Sonoma County (Norberg, Santa Rosa Press Democrat, 4/14).
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