Officials from Sabetha Community Hospital and the City of Sabetha were on hand at the Brown County Commission meeting Monday morning, March 25, to ask that the commissioners amend a resolution calling the question for a 10-year, 1/2 percent sales tax question to support healthcare services in Brown County. Lora Key, Sabetha Community Hospital’s CEO, presented a formal request to commissioners, asking that they amend the resolution to include Sabetha’s hospital.
“As the CEO of a critical access provider in a small community, I want to see Hiawatha and Horton [hospitals] be successful,” Key said. “It is my desire and the desire of my hospital board that these hospitals be successful, but we also ask that you look at those dollars that are from Sabetha retail sales.”
Two weeks ago, the Brown County commissioners approved Resolution 19-07, calling the question to an election on May 21. At that time, the stated use for the generated funds would be to first pay industrial revenue bonds obtained through the City of Hiawatha for $2 million, then subsequently be directed to Hiawatha Community Hospital as general tax support for the hospital. If approved, the sales tax would be implemented on Oct. 1. This decision by the county commissioners came after months of meetings of a joint advisory committee that included officials from the Hiawatha hospital, as well as Brown County and the cities of Hiawatha and Horton. The committee, which did not include any City of Sabetha or Sabetha Community Hospital representatives, was formed after the urgent situation at Hiawatha’s hospital was brought to light.
Last week, Norm Schmitt — a Sabetha City Commission member, and member of the SCH Board of Directors — made the same informal request, but at that meeting, the matter died due to the lack of a motion.
(Read more: Sabetha Herald)