A permanent, one-cent sales tax for South Central Kansas Medical Center received strong support among voters during a mail-in vote counted on Thursday.
The unofficial results showed 66 percent of the votes cast were in support of the proposal set forth by city and hospital officials to establish a long-term funding source for the financially struggling hospital center, while at the same time lowering overall sales tax going to the medical center from 1.5 percent to 1 percent.
Cowley County Clerk Karen Madison reported Thursday afternoon that 1,320 votes, more than 66.3 percent were cast in support of the measure with 670 votes against.
There are 32 provisional votes yet to be counted. Madison said 5,132 ballots were mailed out. That would mean turnout was about 40 percent. The election canvass will be completed Monday for a final result.
Mayor Dan Jurkovich, who also serves as the SCKMC board chair, said he was proud of the hospital staff and the trustees for their success in getting the message out.
Jurkovich led town hall meetings in the weeks leading up the vote, and the slogan “Vote Yes, Pay Less” was on signs scattered throughout town.
“Now we’ll have a better way to pay for the hospital,” Jurkovich said.
(Read more: The Arkansas City Traveler)