Property owners in an area near Texas County Memorial Hospital have approved implementing a quarter-cent sales tax to aid the institution in completing a surgery center project.
Votes were due Tuesday in the county clerk’s office. The tally was 8-1, with Texas County commissioners dissenting. The body had fought the issue in court before the matter withstood challenges.
Texas County Memorial Hospital CEO Wes Murray said he was appreciative of the property owners, who he noted recognized the value of the project and the benefit it would bring to the community.
“We couldn’t have done (the project) without them,” he said.
Under the plan, retailers in the Community Improvement District will collect about $675,000 that is earmarked for the surgery center. Under the ballot, the collection of the levy would cease when the money is collected — or after 10 years, whichever comes first.
Amid a sometimes contentious period with opponents, the hospital said it was committed to transparency in the funding process — including the city receiving the tax money, overseeing its distribution to vendors and working with the city on the creation of an oversight board. The city earlier approved creation of the district.
The only other funding mechanism available to the hospital would have been a county-wide property tax.
The tax, expected to start after the first of the year, will jumpstart the project toward completion, Murray said.