Simple Majority (RCW 84.55.050)
PROPOSITION NO. 1
SNOQUALMIE VALLEY HOSPITAL PROPERTY TAX LEVY
The Commission of Public Hospital District No. 4 adopted Resolution No. 311-0523 concerning a proposition to increase its regular property tax levy. If approved, this proposition would authorize the District to increase its regular property levy rate from its current level to a rate of 75 cents per $1,000 of assessed value for collection in 2008, which amount will be used for computing legal limits on levies in subsequent years, to provide funding for health care services and facilities for the benefit of District residents. Should this proposition be:
APPROVED
REJECTED
EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
King County Public Hospital District No. 4 is placing this proposition on the August 21, 2007 ballot which would authorize the property tax levy rate to be set at .75 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation. The current levy rate is .43 cents per $1,000 assessed valuation. This proposition meets the requirement of Initiative 747, mandating that any increase in revenue of more than 1% over the previous year be approved by the voters. Approval of this proposition will help to fund ongoing hospital and clinical services and help to finance a new hospital facility, which will include a new and expanded Emergency Department, new diagnostic and surgery services, expanded pediatric health services, women’s health services, and senior care as well as other improvements in the delivery of local healthcare services, all meeting seismic standards and community need.
Statement For
The Snoqualmie Valley is one of the fastest growing areas in King County. King County Public Hospital District No. 4 is the Valley’s local provider of health care, operating 6 primary and specialty care clinics in our community and the Snoqualmie Valley Hospital. Because of our community’s tremendous growth, the Hospital has outgrown its facility and must expand to meet our community’s healthcare needs.
The District seeks a levy increase of .32 cents per $1,000 assessed valuation to expand healthcare services for the local community. On a $400,000 home, this is approximately $10.00 more per month.
Approval will fund current hospital and clinical services and help finance construction of a new hospital with an expanded Emergency Department, new diagnostic and surgery services, pediatric healthcare services, women’s healthcare services, and senior care.
This is a small investment to ensure that our community has access to local health care and emergency services. In a medical emergency, minutes can literally save lives. Emergency vehicles cannot readily access the current Snoqualmie Valley Hospital, especially from westbound I-90.
Expanding local healthcare and constructing a new hospital at a more accessible location will give our community a health care system that we need.
Please vote “yes.”
STATEMENT PREPARED BY: Jim McKiernan, Jim Walker, Chris Caviezel
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Statement Against
No Statement Submitted.
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Complete Text of Resolution
PUBLIC HOSPITAL DISTRICT NO. 4
KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON
RESOLUTION NO. 311-0523
A RESOLUTION of the Commission of Public Hospital District No. 4, King County, Washington, providing for the submission to the qualified electors of the District at a special election to be held therein on August 21, 2007, in conjunction with the State primary election to be held on the same date, of a proposition authorizing an increase in the District’s regular property tax levy under RCW 84.55.050.
WHEREAS, under the provisions of RCW 70.44.060, public hospital districts are authorized to levy regular property taxes at a rate of up to 75 cents per $1,000 of assessed value for purposes of operating and maintaining public hospital district facilities and services; and
WHEREAS, RCW 84.55.010 and RCW 84.55.092 provide that the levy for a taxing district in any year shall be set so that the regular property taxes payable in the following year shall not exceed the “limit factor” multiplied by the amount of regular property taxes lawfully levied for such district in the highest of the three most recent years in which such taxes were levied for such district, or the highest amount that could have been levied in any year since 1985, plus an additional dollar amount calculated by multiplying the increase in assessed value in that district resulting from new construction, improvements to property, and any increase in the assessed value of state-assessed property by the regular property tax levy rate of that district for the preceding year; and
WHEREAS, RCW 84.55.005, as amended by Initiative 747, provides that the limit factor for taxing districts with a population equal to or greater than 10,000 shall generally be the lesser of 101% or one hundred percent plus inflation unless an increase greater than this limit is approved by the voters of the district at an election provided by RCW 84.55.050; and
WHEREAS, the Board of Commissioners of the District attests that the population of the District is more than ten thousand; and
WHEREAS, the Commission has determined that it is necessary to seek approval for an increased in its regular property tax levy to provide sufficient funds to permit the District to improve and expand its inpatient and outpatient hospital and other health care services and facilities for the benefit of the District’s residents and other persons served by the District; and
WHEREAS, such action is deemed to be in the best interest of the residents of the District and other persons served by the District; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COMMISSION OF PUBLIC HOSPITAL DISTRICT NO. 4, KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON, as follows:
Section 1. The Director of Records and Elections of King County, Washington, as ex officio Supervisor of Elections, is requested to call and conduct a special election in the District in the manner provided by law to be held therein on the 21st day of August, 2007, in conjunction with the State primary election to be held on the same date. The special election shall be for the purpose of submitting to the electors of the District for their approval or rejection, under the provisions of RCW 84.55.050, the question whether the District shall levy in 2007 for collection in 2008 a regular property tax at the rate of 75 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, which shall establish a new dollar limit under RCW 84.55.050 on the District’s subsequent regular property tax levies.
Section 2. Pursuant to RCW 29A.36.071, the King County Prosecuting Attorney is requested to prepare the concise description of the aforesaid proposition in the form of a ballot title in substantially the following form:
PUBLIC HOSPITAL DISTRICT NO. 4
KING COUNTY
PROPOSITION NO._______
SNOQUALMIE VALLEY HOSPITAL
PROPERTY TAX LEVY
The Commission of Public Hospital District No. 4 adopted Resolution No. 311-0523 concerning a proposition to increase its regular property tax levy. If approved, this proposition would authorize the District to increase its regular property levy rate from its current level to a rate of 75 cents per $1,000 of assessed value for collection in 2008, which amount will be used for computing legal limits on levies in subsequent years, to provide funding for health care services and facilities for the benefit of District residents. Should this proposition be:
APPROVED…………………………___
REJECTED…………………….…….___
Section 3. The Secretary of the Commission of the District, or his or her designee, is authorized and directed (a) to present a certified copy of this resolution to the Director of Records and Elections of King County, Washington at least 84 days prior to the date of such special election and (b) to perform such other duties as are necessary or required by law to submit to the District’s voters at the aforesaid election, for their approval or rejection, the proposition of whether or not the District should increase the levy rate as herein provided.
Section 4. If any provision of this resolution shall be declared by any court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, then such provision shall be null and void and shall be separable from the remaining provisions of this resolution and shall in no way affect the validity of the other provisions of this resolution, or of the levy or collection of the taxes.
Section 5. For purposes of receiving notice of the exact language of the ballot title required by RCW 29A.36.080, the Commission hereby designates the Superintendent of the District as the individual to whom the Director of Records and Elections of King County, Washington, shall provide such notice. The Superintendent of the District and President of the Commission are each authorized individually to approve changes to the ballot title, if any, deemed necessary by the Director of Records and Elections of King County, Washington or the King County Prosecuting Attorney.
Section 6. This resolution shall become effective immediately upon its adoption.
ADOPTED AND APPROVED by the Commission of Public Hospital District No. 4, King County, Washington, at a special public meeting thereof, of which due notice was given as provided by law, this 23rd day of May 2007, the following Commissioners being present and voting.
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