By Jondi Gumz
On Nov. 29, the Pajaro Valley Health Care District board of directors unanimously voted to authorize a $116 million bond measure for the March 5 election.
- Double the size of the emergency room; renovate and upgrade X-rays, MRI and CT scanners
- Replace aging roofs and plumbing; renovate or replace outdated heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems
- Buy the hospital property to save $3 million a year in rent that could be reinvested to modernize the facility and expand patient services.
The proposed measure would mean an estimated $24 annual tax per $100,000 of assessed property valuation.
The tax is based on assessed value, which is established by the county assessor, not market value.
For example, someone who bought a home decades ago and now assessed at $500,000 would pay $120. Someone who bought a home in the past three years with an assessment of $1 million would pay $240.
The payments would be for 30 years.
“We are excited about the possibility of what this bond measure would mean for the Pajaro Valley community,” said John Friel of Aptos, board chair of the Pajaro Valley Health Care District. “When the hospital almost closed in 2021 because the previous for-profit owners had a loss of $30 million that year, I think we all realized how important this facility is to all of us. Together with the community, we’ve worked hard to establish a plan for financial sustainability. This bond program would help ensure not only long-term financial stability, but also allow us to expand services and upgrade our hospital to the high standard of quality this community deserves.”
“This bond represents an investment in the future of healthcare for the Pajaro Valley,” said Friel.