Survey shows support among residents for potential Watsonville Community Hospital property tax
Quick Take
Out of the 400 voters surveyed in the Pajaro Valley Health Care District, 75.5% said they would vote yes on a bond measure to support Watsonville Community Hospital and 2.5% said they were leaning in that direction. About 61% of voters supported a tax at an annual rate of $19 per $100,000 of assessed property value versus a total of 54% of voters who said they would support a higher rate of $24.
Watsonville Community Hospital leaders say they’re encouraged by the results of a recent community survey to potentially put a property tax on an upcoming ballot to purchase land the hospital is currently leasing from its former owner.
Hospital board chair John Friel said he and fellow board members are still exploring whether the hospital will indeed put a property tax on either the March 2024 or November 2024 ballot. The funding would go toward hospital operations and potentially toward purchasing the land the hospital sits on.
The district has the option to purchase the land and building for $40 million — compared to its current annual lease payment of over $3 million.
Out of the 400 voters surveyed in the Pajaro Valley Health Care District, 75.5% said they would vote yes on a bond measure and 2.5% said they were leaning in that direction.
About 61% of voters supported a tax at an annual rate of $19 per $100,000 of assessed property value versus a total of 54% of voters who said they would support a higher rate of $24. Jon Isom of financial consulting firm Isom Advisors shared the results of the survey with hospital board members last week. The hospital hired the firm to help it assess the likelihood of placing a successful bond on the ballot.
“We were very pleased with the results of the survey,” Friel said.
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The community’s positive response has encouraged the board to continue to investigate the possibility of a bond issue, Friel said. He said if the hospital decides to put the tax on the March 2024 ballot, it would need to decide by late this year. If board members decide to put the tax on the November 2024 ballot, they would need to have a decision by August 2024.
Friel said the board has also chosen a new chief executive officer after narrowing a pool of 45 candidates to one. Friel said it’s too soon to announce a tentative start date for the CEO, but hospital staff are currently negotiating the details for a contract with that final candidate.
Matko Vranjes has been serving as interim CEO since the hospital’s former head, Steven Salyer, announced his resignation in March.
The hospital board hopes to announce the new CEO by Sept. 20 or 21 before potentially voting to approve of that person’s new contract on Sept. 27.
“I feel very good about it,” Friel said of the CEO search. “It’s been an interesting process. It’s probably the most important thing any board does is select a CEO.”
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Over the next few weeks, the hospital’s human resources staff will also be continuing to work on contract negotiations with the nurses union. Friel said there are three meetings scheduled between the hospital staff and the nurses’ negotiations team.
Since the nurses’ contract expired May 15, negotiators have agreed to several extensions, Friel said. Among their priorities, nurses have been pushing for more part-time positions since the board decided to significantly reduce those options as a cost-saving measure.
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