No hospice funds

BY KIRK STARRATT

The Advertiser

NovaNewsNow.com



Kings County councillors have defeated a motion to send a funding request from the Valley Regional Hospital Foundation (VRHF) and the Valley Hospice Foundation (VHF) to the annual budget deliberation process.

Councillors reviewed a letter from VRHF president Trinda Ernst and VHF chair Diana Patterson requesting a one-cent increase to the tax rate over a pledge period of five years at the Tuesday, March 20 committee of the whole session. They stated in the letter that the increase would translate into an annual gift of about $245,000 or a total pledge of $1,225,000 over five years.

The VRHF and VHF have formed the Partnership for Better Health and have undertaken an $8 million capital campaign to redevelop the Valley Regional Hospital and construct a stand-alone hospice facility. Ernst and Patterson made a presentation to councillors about the capital campaign in February.

“It’s too big a commitment…it’s too much money at this point,” councillor Janet Newton said in regard to the funding request. “I’m willing to finish with it here and now.”

Councillor Madonna Spinazola said health care is a provincial mandate and she wonders how much of the $8 million the province is going to provide.

Councillor Diana Brothers said she thinks the proposed project is good and they should see if the partnership has another funding request they would like council to consider.

“I’m torn,” said Warden Fred Whalen. “We need a hospice, but this is another form of downloading (from the province).”

Councillor John Fuller pointed out that the province would tie the municipality’s hands when assessment increases are capped to the Consumer Price Index for property tax purposes in 2008 and the county won’t be in a financial position to support these kinds of projects.

Councillors defeated the motion to send the funding request to budget deliberations. Whalen said he would write a letter to the Partnership for Better Health on behalf of council explaining the position they have taken.