Voters Approve Parcel Tax Increase to Fund Sonoma Valley Hospital
Sonoma Valley Hospital yesterday became the third hospital in Sonoma County to "convince" local residents to subsidize operations by raising parcel taxes, the Santa Rosa Press Democrat reports. Measure D -- which asked voters to increase funding for the hospital through a raise in the parcel tax to $130 yearly over five years -- required two-thirds approval to pass and received 84% of the vote from 88% of Sonoma County precincts. The Press Democrat reports that the tax will garner $2 million each year and permit the hospital to renew its search for a site to build a new $40 million facility. Last year, voters in Healdsburg and Sebastopol also passed parcel tax increases to fund local hospitals. Bill Wood, the campaign consultant for all three hospital measures, said, "Voters saw the main issues as the economic health of their community and their personal health. People didn't want to rely on an ambulance to take them all the way to Santa Rosa if they had a heart attack or got in a car accident" (Rose, Santa Rosa Press Democrat, 3/6).
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