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The referendum would have asked voters to approve an additional $3.5 million annually through 2044 to fund the center’s construction and operations.
STEVENS POINT – The future of the Portage County Health Care Center will be decided Tuesday night when the County Commission voted 16-8 to put a referendum on the April ballot asking voters for an additional $3.5 million annually through 2044. The vote against including the question led to uncertainty again. Fund the construction and operation of the center.
The decision followed long-standing concerns about conditions at the more than 90-year-old health care center.
Portage County voters previously approved, through a referendum, $5.6 million over four years in 2018 and $90 million over 20 years in 2022 to fund operations and build a $20 million new facility. . However, in early 2023, county officials determined that both operating and construction costs had increased beyond the amounts allowed in the 2022 referendum, and progress on construction of the new center was put on hold.
A referendum before the County Commission on Tuesday would have asked voters to approve an additional $70 million over 20 years to complete the project.
Seven of the nine citizens who spoke out during public comment were in favor of funding the facility.
Throughout the extensive discussion, several supervisors pointed to past vote counts in the spring election and the fall general election.
“If we really want to appeal to Portage County voters, I agree with what I heard tonight,” said District 19 Supervisor Scott Soike. “Then we should do it and get it to as many voters as possible, and that will be in November.”
The decision to hold the referendum during the November election, when turnout is expected to be high, was also announced by the County Executive and Management Committee, Finance Committee, Medical Center Committee, Space and Property Committee on January 8th. It was discussed at a joint meeting of the Association. The language proposed in the referendum was also approved by the Health Care Center Board at the meeting.
“The argument that we need to postpone voting until the maximum number of voters have cast their votes is really concerning because it starts to put political choices on things rather than project schedules,” said District 6 Superintendent Sean Przybylski said. January 8th meeting. “My concern is that it’s a slippery slope that we’re electing voters to on these issues.”
The county’s construction consultant said the cost of the project could increase by 2% to 3% in the seven months between April and the November election.
On Tuesday, Board Chairman and District 15 Supervisor Al Hagga said the April 2022 election, when the last healthcare center referendum passed, had 17,659 votes, and the November 2020 election, which includes the presidential election. In the election, there were 40,784 votes. It was cast.
When the April 2018 referendum passed, 20,572 people voted in favor of increasing taxes to fund the center, 12,951 voted “no,” and a total of 33,523 voted yes.
“We’re only seven months away from the presidential election. If we can postpone it until then, I think we’ll have some form of democracy,” said District 12 Superintendent Mike Splinter. “It’s the people who have kept this health care center going over the years, and the people can keep it going.”
County Executive John Pavelski said there is no action before any commission to sell the health care center, but he is “working diligently to see that process happen.”
Any action regarding a potential future referendum will go through a development process in the months leading up to November.
Local election news: Voters will see spring primaries for seats on the Stevens Point City Council, School Board and Portage County Commission.
More local news: Marshfield Clinic Health System is furloughing employees across its network
Eric Pfanz covers local government and education in central Wisconsin for USA-TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin and cherishes his background as a rural Wisconsinite.please contact him epfantz@gannett.com Or connect with him on Twitter @ErikPfantz.
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