Quick Take
Pajaro Valley community leaders explain the benefits of Measure N, which would increase property taxes modestly to raise $116 million for Watsonville Community Hospital.
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In the Pajaro Valley, we pride ourselves on our collective strength.
When challenges arise, our community comes together to address them head-on, working together to ensure the well-being of all residents. The resilience and unity displayed during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Pajaro River levee flood, and the financial crisis of Watsonville Community Hospital are testaments to our shared commitment to one another and our community.
Not long ago, Watsonville Community Hospital was on the brink of closure. We worked together to return it to community ownership in 2022, and since then it has made remarkable strides toward becoming the health care provider our community needs and deserves. Now, it is crucial to finish the job by voting yes on Measure N on March 5.
Measure N is not just about sustaining our critical regional health care system; it’s about ensuring accessible medical care for everyone in our community – regardless of address or income. We are leaders of local nonprofit organizations dedicated to working toward a healthy, thriving and equitable Pajaro Valley.
Measure N will ensure equity in access to good health for years to come and we strongly support it.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic response, our organizations served the community and continue as essential resources that address emergent needs. The only way we can achieve our respective goals is to transform the health and well-being of our community. This can be achieved only with strong accessible local health care, and Watsonville Community Hospital is an integral part of that.
COVID highlighted both the importance of our hardworking community members and the inequities they face in access to good health care. Access to quality health care is essential to ensure a thriving community. Measure N will ensure we have the resources to optimize and improve our current community hospital.
Measure N will provide our community the resources it needs to achieve better health outcomes. It will empower our dedicated local doctors and nurses at our nonprofit hospital to deliver quality care while reinvesting earnings in improved and expanded services. This means shifting focus from making ends meet to improving and building future care, not only controlling health care costs but also ensuring essential services are accessible to all in need.
Measure N will provide $116 million to Watsonville Community Hospital, enabling it to significantly enhance its emergency room capacity from 12 to 22 rooms, thereby reducing wait times. It would also modernize imaging systems like X-rays, MRI and CT scanners, and introduce new services.
Additionally, Measure N would finance the acquisition of the hospital buildings and grounds, saving $3 million annually in rent payments. All funds generated by the bond, along with the increased revenues resulting from the upgrades and expansions, would be invested locally, benefiting Watsonville Community Hospital and the communities it serves, including Watsonville, Aptos, La Selva Beach, Corralitos, Pajaro, Las Lomas, Aromas and beyond.
It would accomplish all of this for the modest proposed property tax increase of $2 per month per $100,000 of assessed value.
Measure N is an investment in the long-term health and prosperity of our community. It will enhance our ability to support public health, vaccination and health education in a historically underserved portion of our community, reducing the burden on the health care system and easing the cost of health insurance. It will free up local funding to support the local professional pipeline through Cabrillo College training programs, ensuring a steady supply of well-trained local health care professionals to serve our community.
A crucial lesson learned during the pandemic is that we must take care of ourselves, take care of our families and take care of our community.
For the vulnerable and underserved population in Watsonville, our essential workers contributing to the local economy, Measure N is a safety net and a guarantee of quality care. It ensures local resources to address common complex health needs, chronic conditions, and barriers to private insurance, thereby reducing health disparities and promoting social justice.
Our hospital is a critical part of the region’s health system. It helps our community remain healthy so they can work, go to school and care for their families. It is a critical part of equitable health access and community well-being. Voting yes on Measure N is an investment in our region’s collective health and prosperity.
Let’s continue to use our collective strength for good – let’s prioritize health and equity and vote yes on Measure N for a healthy and thriving Pajaro Valley.
- Jasmine Najera, LCSW-CEO, Pajaro Valley Prevention and Student Assistance
- Raymon Cancino, CEO, Community Bridges
- Nancy Faulstich, executive director, Regeneración-Pajaro Valley Climate Action
- Adriana Melgoza, administrative director, Watsonville Law Center
- Irene Juarez O’Connell and Doron Comerchero, co-executive directors, FoodWhat?!
- Maria Cadenas, executive director, Ventures
- Carmen Herrera-Mansir, executive director, El Pajaro Community Development Corporation
- Faris Sabbah, superintendent, Santa Cruz County Office of Education
- Leeann Luna, CEO, Monarch Services
- Donna Young, CEO, Salud Para La Gente
- MariaElena De La Garza, executive director, Community Action Board of Santa Cruz County, Inc.