Quick Take
In about two years, Watsonville Community Hospital has moved from the brink of ruin to point of countywide pride. As Santa Cruz County’s population continues to age faster than the state's, we need a strong second hospital. This measure makes the hospital, and its parent Pajaro Valley Health Care District, stronger.
Editor’s note: A Lookout View is the opinion of our Community Voices opinion section, written by our editorial board, which consists of Community Voices Editor Jody K. Biehl and Lookout Founder Ken Doctor. Our goal is to connect the dots we see in the news and offer a bigger-picture view — all intended to see Santa Cruz County meet the challenges of the day and to shine a light on issues we believe must be on the public agenda. These views are distinct and independent from the work of our newsroom and its reporting.
As Mid-County and South County voters approach Measure N, two things stand out.
No. 1, the conversion of Watsonville Community Hospital into a community-run nonprofit is an underappreciated civic accomplishment, one people might still talk about decades from now. Second, the road ahead for Santa Cruz County’s second hospital is still full of bumps.
Though the second point is true, it’s only another reason to support Measure N, a bond that furthers chances that the hospital can better navigate that road ahead.
Measure N enables the Pajaro Valley Health Care District to issue $116 million in bonds to buy the land at Watsonville Community Hospital and make improvements. By buying the land, rather than paying annual rent of about $3 million, the hospital takes one more step in rationalizing its budget. Property owners in the district – with boundaries similar to Pajaro Valley Unified School District, stretching from Monterey County to Watsonville and Aptos – would pay $24 per $100,000 of assessed property value annually for 30 years or until the bond is paid off.
That’s a tax that is very much an investment. And it’s an investment in community, but also for ourselves; none of us knows when and where we will need care.
The bonds would pay both for the land purchase and specified facility improvement: They would help “expand/renovate the emergency room; upgrade imaging systems including x-rays, MRI and CT scanners; modernize health care facilities to expand services and replace roofs/plumbing.”
The bonds require a two-thirds affirmative vote, a high bar, as voters are asked to approve other taxes, including the Measures K and L sales taxes in this cycle, and numerous ones over time. With a county median home price of $1.3 million, each property owner is being asked to make a contribution in the neighborhood of $300 a year. That’s hefty, but still a bargain, for a resource that is a necessity rather than a luxury.
The Pajaro Valley Health Care District indeed faces much transition in the years ahead. Willed into existence by the political smarts of our legislators and community leaders, it’s a ship that has righted itself, moving closer to breaking even after inheriting as much as a $30 million annual deficit. The new board is assessing financial realities. The new CEO is bringing a wealth of experience to reorganizing and upgrading its care. And the skilled personnel who make the place tick every day report improving conditions.
There’s still lots to be done, and scrutinized by the public. The next step in this saga is passing this bond.
We think it’s important to lay a strong foundation under Watsonville Community Hospital. That’s why we are voting yes.