Memorial ballot measure is a tax question, not about ownership

When considering the tax levy question for Memorial Health System on the ballot this November, it’s important to understand what’s not at stake.

The ballot question is not a vote to sell or lease Memorial hospital. For that matter, it’s not a vote to not sell the city-owned hospital. And it’s not a vote to raise or lower taxes.

What the ballot question is asking is whether to repeal a 1949 law that requires that City Council levy a tax to cover any losses at Memorial. The provision, as far as anyone can tell, has never been used, despite Memorial losing $32 million in 2008.

CLICK HERE FOR THE GAZETTE'S ONLINE VOTER GUIDE.

For the past two years, a series of commissions and task forces has looked at the future of Memorial. The latest task force plans to put out a request for proposals to lease Memorial next week and to pick a winning bid by the end of the year. The winning proposal would go to voters next year. A variety of for-profit and not-for-profit hospital companies is expected to submit bids, including a proposal by hospital’s current management and board to turn Memorial into an independent nonprofit.

In the meantime, voters have to consider this question of removing council’s ability to levy taxes on Memorial’s behalf. City Council President Scott Hente said that the provision needs to be removed before Memorial is leased, so it makes sense to get it out of the way now. Plus, he said, voting for the measure would be a sign that voters are open to changing Memorial’s governance.

“I think it will indicate a willingness to enter into that conversation,” Hente said.

Council President Pro Tem Jan Martin, who heads the Memorial task force, agreed, although she cautioned that voting against removing the taxing authority would not stop the leasing process; repealing the taxing authority would just have to be dealt with later.

“It’s not going to change the direction we’re moving,” Martin said.

Mayor Steve Bach also said he supports removing the taxing authority and plans to vote for it.

Bob Lally, who chaired the first Memorial commission that kicked off the Memorial question in 2010 and now chairs Our Memorial Matters, a group backing turning the hospital into an independent nonprofit, said removing the taxing authority is a step in the right direction.

“I think that would be a good message for the community to come out and say ‘yes’ on that — get that out of the way and we move on to the next thing,” Lally said.

On the other hand, Councilman Tim Leigh, who serves on the Memorial task force, said he thinks the tax levy ballot measure is putting the cart in front of the horse. Remove the taxing authority, he argued, at the same time you approve a plan to lease the hospital, not now. And, Leigh said, if voters approve the measure, it won’t mean much except that they don’t like taxes.

“The right way to do this is to put this with the other issue,” he said, referring to the lease. “I think people are just going to vote (yes) because, ‘Hey we can get rid of a tax — sign me up!’”

That criticism comes even though Leigh voted in favor of putting the tax question on the November ballot.

“I voted for it because at some point it’s like ba-a-a-a-a,” he said. “It’s that herd mentality. It’s silly to waste any political capital in that debate.”

If voters remove the taxing authority, but then reject whatever leasing plan the task force agrees on next year, Memorial would remain city owned and, Martin said, if the hospital lost money, council would have to ask voters to support it.

“In Colorado, where we have TABOR (the Taxpaxer’s Bill of Rights), I think if Memorial did continue to struggle and needed support, the question would come back to voters,” she said.

ELECTION DETAILS

The Nov. 1 election in El Paso County is a mail-in election. The El Paso County Clerk and Recorder’s Election Department on Tuesday mailed 248,000 ballots for election. Active, registered voters can expect to receive their ballots for this mail-in election in the next few days.

Voters who do not receive a ballot should contact the election department at 575-8683 or go to www.govotecolorado.com to update their voter information through Oct. 25 and receive a mailed ballot.

The county’s 63,630 inactive registered voters will not automatically receive a ballot but can activate their registration or update their information at www.govotecolorado.com and be issued a ballot.

Postage for ballots costs 64 cents.

Voters may visit any of the four clerk and recorder offices and either vote or pick up a mail ballot. Offices are open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m Mondays through Fridays. The Union Town Center branch also is open 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays. It is at 8830 N. Union Blvd.

Other offices are at 5650 Industrial Place, 200 S. Cascade Ave. and 1675 W. Garden of the Gods Road. All offices will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Nov. 1.

To be counted, ballots must be received by 7 p.m. that day. Ballots can also be dropped off at the clerk’s offices during business hours on weekdays. Voting machines are available at these locations. Eligible voters may vote in person using one of the machines. To order a replacement ballot, contact the elections department at 575-8683.

—
Contact Andrew Wineke: 636-0275 Twitter @awineke
Facebook Andrew Wineke-Gazette