On October 18th, the Committee for Expansion of the Frio Hospital District hosted a town hall in Dilley to provide information about their proposition in the upcoming Frio County-wide election.
THE DEAL
Frio Hospital Association Vice President Jim Gates moderated the town hall. “We find ourselves in Pearsall with an emergency room that is packed at night,” he said. “A lot of people come in the evenings needing services that they can’t get in to see a doctor. We need an urgent care somewhere, so why not try to put it in Dilley?”
Currently, the Frio Hospital District collects taxes from precincts 1, 2, and 3, but not 4*. After the recent close of Nix hospital and other primary care facilities in Dilley, the Frio Hospital District proposes expanding the taxing boundaries of the hospital district to the entirety of precinct 4, which includes Dilley.
Frio Regional Hospital CEO Andy Williams explained how the larger tax base would provide benefits to the entire county, in addition to a potential urgent care. “It could also help the hospital to expand its services. Add additional types of surgery, endoscopy, general surgeons, maybe an MRI capability,” he said.
If the resolution to include all of Frio County precinct 4 in the hospital taxing district passes, the Frio Hospital District would build an urgent care in Dilley. “That’s what our pledge is to Dilley residents,” said Gates.
And that’s where things got sticky…
THE DOUBT
As several associates of the Frio Regional Hospital touted the benefits of a local urgent care and potential services, Dilley Councilman Sabino Mena raised a concern.
“I have a ballot here right in front of me, and I don’t see… there’s nothing written about us getting a clinic. I see that a vote for it means we’re going to be ‘assuming its proportionate share of the outstanding debts and taxes of the Frio Hospital.’ But there’s nothing written here about what kind of clinic we’re going to get.”
Mena referred to the ballot county voters will receive on the November 7th election day. The language on the ballot contains no mention of an urgent care, only a resolution to expand the taxing boundaries to an area that encompasses Dilley and most of precinct 4.
Gates explained the plans for the process. First, if the Hospital District expansion resolution passes on election day, Dilley would get two board members on the nine-member hospital district board, along with the seven members from Pearsall. That board will hammer out the details for the urgent care in Dilley, and eventually execute the plan.
Dilley city Councilman Gilbert Eguia expressed further doubt. “There’s no plan of action that I can see that I can take over to my elderly folks,” he said. “They want to know if they’re going to have these services. But there’s no guarantee.”
Mena agreed. “They’re very happy to have a clinic here. What they’re asking is, ‘where is it written that we’re going to get a clinic?’”
THE DEFENSE
Dilley resident Lorie Keck leapt to the defense of the hospital board. “Do they think people will just lie?”
Mena and Eguia replied with a “yes,” and the meeting quickly descended into a referendum on the integrity of the hospital board which, perhaps, misses the point. According to the ballot, the November 7th vote is only a vote to expand hospital district taxing boundaries. The actual vote to approve construction of an urgent care will happen at a later date by the nine-member hospital board. Between now and then, given the wild uncertainty of health care laws and markets, there is no guarantee that a Dilley urgent care will be fiscally viable at that undetermined future date. Given that the members of the hospital board are responsible financial stewards, taxpayers must entertain the possibility that they would pull the plug on the planned urgent care project if the economic outlook takes a downturn.
Variations of this dilemma were repeated in several ways during the town hall, followed by several variations of pledges, promises, and other verbal assurances from members of the current hospital board.
THE DETAILS
The Committee for Expansion of the Frio Hospital District unveiled their campaign advertisement. Dilley Mayor Mary Ann Obregon offered her analysis. “By looking at this, it makes sense to me and I think the people will look at it where it says ‘a new Dilley urgent care clinic could provide…’ We’re already saying Dilley urgent care. I think that’s what they want to see. They want to believe that it is coming here.”
The ads include many possible details of the urgent care: extended hours, x-rays, lab services, with a catch, however. There is no official proposal for the facility. Therefore, any specific details are hypothetical.
“Two of your members down here need to be on that board to help make those decisions,” Gates explained. “It wouldn’t be fair without your representation.” Again, first comes the November 7th vote to expand the tax base. If approved, then the hospital district board will craft the details of the urgent care.
And since those details have not been finalized, calculations such as construction cost, an operating budget, and revenue projections will not be available to voters before the November 7th election.
Subjected to repeated questions about costs and financials, Frio Regional Hospital District Vice President Daniel A. Pawlik finally responded, “What else do you got? Who else do you have bringing health care down to this part of the county?”
DILLEY, PEARSALL, FRIO IMPACT
Frio County Commissioner Pepe Flores inquired about details of the recent history of the Frio Hospital District property tax rate.
“I know that in five years, from 2013, your taxes have gone from 5 cents to 26 cents. Is there an ending to this or is it going to go on like this? I don’t think we can afford it,” Flores said. For the 2012-13 fiscal year, the Frio County Hospital District property tax rate was $.059247. Since then, the property tax rate has increased 350% to $.265430. The reason for the increase was the re-location of Frio Regional hospital as well as purchase of modern equipment and upgrades.
If an upgraded facility and equipment caused the hospital property tax increase in Pearsall, it could stand to reason that a new Dilley urgent care and accompanying new equipment could further increase the hospital district tax rate for all taxpayers in the district, including Pearsall. However, again, until an approval vote and the ensuing board decisions, there is no certainty.
Frio Hospital Association Vice President Jim Gates struck a more hopeful tone. “We could very well see, especially with your two representatives on that board, you could see those taxes go back to five cents, possibly,” he said, before asking Commissioner Flores, “How much have the county taxes gone up in that time?”
Since 2012-13, the Frio County property tax rate has decreased 2%, from $.660600 to $.646736.
—————–
DISTRICT NOTES:
*The current geographical area of Frio County Hospital District includes all of Frio County precincts 1, 2, 3, as well as only eight registered voters at the edges of precinct 4. The remainder of precinct 4, which includes all of Dilley, is considered outside of the hospital district.
All registered Frio County voters will be able vote on the proposition to expand the hospital district. The ballot will read “Frio Hospital District” at the top of the page. A “For” vote will expand the hospital taxing district to include the non-hospital district. An “Against” vote will keep the hospital taxing district boundary as is.
The proposition to expand the hospital tax district will pass if both the hospital district and non-hospital district region vote in favor.
The Frio Regional Hospital has two boards: the Frio Hospital Association and the Frio Hospital District.
If the proposition passes, the Frio Hospital District board of directors (which decides the property tax rate) will expand from seven to nine members. Dilley will occupy two of those seats, potentially three. Initially, if the proposition passes, the two members will be appointed, and then in May, there would be an election for those seats. There are two members from each precinct, plus one at-large. Currently, all members are from Pearsall.
Hospital Association board members are selected by a district-wide vote, but that could change if the proposition passes. The hospital association board is in charge of day-to-day operations.
At 90% collection and the current hospital district tax rate, revenue from the current hospital district will total $2.7 million next year.
At 90% collection and the current hospital district tax rate, revenue from the non-hospital district area would total $1.1 million next year.
The current non-hospital tax district area resident would not be subject to property taxes until 2018, if the proposition is approved.
DATES, TIMES, LOCATIONS OF ELECTION
FOR EARLY VOTING, A VOTER MAY VOTE AT ANY OF THE LOCATIONS BELOW:
| 10/23/17 - 10/27/17 | Frio County Community Room 410 S. Pecan Pearsall, TX 78061 | 8am-5pm |
| 10/28/17 | Frio County Community Room 410 S. Pecan Pearsall, TX 78061 | 7am-7pm |
| 10/28/17 | Frio County Annex Building 101 N. Commerce Dilley, TX 78017 | 7am-7pm |
| 10/30/17 - 11/03/17 | Frio County Community Room 410 S. Pecan Pearsall, TX 78061 | 8am-5pm |
ON ELECTION DAY, NOVEMBER 7th, 7am-7pm, A VOTER MUST VOTE IN THEIR PRECINCT WHERE REGISTERED TO VOTE:
–written by Jose Asuncion.
Jose received an MFA from University of Southern California in 2008, a BA from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 2003, and currently lives in Dilley, TX, home of his grandparents.