A vote for the county’s future
A vote for the county’s future
Arkansans can cast their early vote for the March 1 primary beginning Tuesday, Feb. 16. By now most of you have the information you need to choose a presidential candidate or judicial candidate, but I also want to direct your attention to an issue specifically facing Crittenden County voters on this ballot. After 17 months without a hospital and several attempts to reopen the existing facility, we have a wonderful opportunity to bring a new hospital to our community.
Voters will be asked if they want to redirect a 1-cent sales tax to build a new hospital to be run by Baptist Memorial Health Care Corporation. Baptist Hospital has been a mainstay of the Mid-South healthcare delivery system for many years and we are fortunate that they are willing to partner with us to build and operate a new hospital.
The sales tax was previously passed in July to renovate the original Crittenden County hospital which closed in 2014.
The tax referendum that passed in July was in support of a proposal by Nashville-based Ameris Health to reopen the 64-year-old county-owned hospital. That proposal fell through for many reasons which have been outlined by your County Judge and the Quorum Court.
On this ballot you will see two questions regarding the hospital.
The first question asks voters if they are for or against Ordinance 20158. This ordinance enables the country to divert the sales tax passed last year to go to building a new hospital.
The second question is titled Hospital Bonds. It ask voters if they are for or against the county entering to issue a bond in the amount of $25,150,000 for the construction of the hospital. If approved this measure would also allow the county to lease the facility to Baptist Memorial Health Care. It also offers Baptist the option to buy the facility after 10 years in agreement to continue to operate the hospital for an 15 years after the purchase date.
I hope you will join me in voting YES on BOTH of these ballot issues. Spread the word to your friends and make it possible for us to finally provide hospital services to our county.
From State Representative Deborah Ferguson
