Supporters of new tax get sufficient signers

By Meg Olson

Supporters of a local hospital district easily gathered enough signatures to have the question put to voters, likely at an early spring special election. “We needed 36 signatures, we got 300,” said Mark Millman, who helped organize the petition asking county council to put the new district on the ballot. The number of signatures indicates reasonably strong voter support for the measure, since only 376 of the Point’s 716 voters cast a ballot in the last general election.

According to the petition, Point Roberts needs a hospital district to collect taxes, which will support continued operation of the Aydon Wellness Clinic. If approved the district would be managed by an elected board of commissioners and would have the power to collect up to 50 cents per thousand dollars of valuation in property taxes. Millman said he expects a levy of 35 cents per thousand could cover the clinics anticipated annual shortfall of $75,000.

The clinic opened two years ago with grant funding secured by the Pioneer group in 2002. While the grant paid for leasehold improvements, permitting, equipment and any shortfall for the first two years of clinic operation, it expires in April 2005. Millman said the clinic is not self supporting now, nor is it likely to be, due to the small patient base on the Point. However, he said the community’s use of the clinic demonstrates “there is a real need.”

Whatcom County Auditor Shirley Forslof certified the petition for the hospital district sufficient on October 21 and forwarded the initiative to county council. County council clerk Dana Brown-Davis said the initiative will be introduced to county council November 9, and a public hearing is tentatively scheduled for November 23. “The hearing is part of the formal process. That’s our responsibility,” Brown-Davis said. After council approval the initiative is returned to the auditor who will schedule a date for a special election.