Committee approves language for April referendum to fund Portage County Health Care Center
STEVENS POINT − Portage County voters could be asked to approve another $3.5 million per year in an April 2 referendum to fund construction and operation of the county's Health Care Center.
The annual increase through 2044 would be in addition to the $4.5 million per year through 2042 that voters already approved by 59% in an April 2022 referendum.
The referendum language was approved following a joint meeting Monday of the county's Executive/Operations, Finance, Health Care Center and Space and Properties committees. Fifteen out of the 25 Portage County Board members were present to discuss the referendum.
Six members of the public, including an additional County Board member, spoke during the public comment period in favor of maintaining the Health Care Center under county ownership. One person made a comment against continued county ownership of the facility.
The Health Care Center Committee ultimately voted to forward the referendum to the full County Board for final approval with a 3-1 vote and one abstention. Only one committee needed to agree to forward the referendum to the County Board for final approval. The three other committees voted no.
The full County Board will consider the referendum at its next meeting at 5 p.m. Jan. 16.
The future of the over 90-year-old Health Care Center has been a drawn-out conversation in the community. A survey of county residents conducted by St. Norbert's College in 2018 and referendums in 2018 and 2022 that asked voters to approve increasing property taxes to fund the Health Care Center and construction of a new facility have shown strong support for continued public ownership of the facility.
However, continuing increases in material costs to build the much-needed facility, decreasing resident numbers, staffing concerns, and repeated actions by county leadership have undermined the public’s votes to maintain the Health Care Center as a county-owned facility.
In November, Portage County Executive John Pavelski told members of the Health Care Center Committee he had spoken with an interested buyer who had recently purchased another county-owned facility, and Pavelski recommended “we continue to pursue the option of a sale of the Health Care Center.”
The committee ultimately passed a motion at the Nov. 30 meeting requesting further study on a potential referendum and a potential sale of the Health Care Center and directing county staff to not act on a sale until after a referendum has been held.
What is the proposed referendum language?
Under state law, the increase in the levy of the County of Portage for the tax to be imposed for the next fiscal year, 2025, is limited to 1.111%, which results in a levy of $35,397,162. Shall the County of Portage be allowed to exceed this limit and increase the levy for the next fiscal year, 2025, for the purpose of paying a portion of the cost to operate the Portage County Health Care Center, which may include costs associated with the construction of a new Portage County Health Care facility, by a total of 9.888% which results in a levy of $38,897,162, and include the increase of $3,500,000 for fiscal years 2025 through 2044?
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Erik Pfantz covers local government and education in central Wisconsin for USA-TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin and values his background as a rural Wisconsinite. Reach him at epfantz@gannett.com or connect with him on Twitter @ErikPfantz.
This article originally appeared on Stevens Point Journal: Portage County Health Care Center referendum language moves forward
