Future of Portage County Health Care Center uncertain as leaders debate potential referendum and sale

STEVENS POINT − Portage County’s Health Care Center Committee requested further study on both a potential referendum and a potential sale of the Portage County Health Care Center at its Thursday meeting.

The motion was approved with an amendment directing county staff to not act on a sale until after a referendum has been held.

Portage County Health Care Center is a county-owned skilled nursing facility. Currently, 31 Wisconsin counties own 46 skilled care facilities across the state. Nearby Lincoln County has been working toward a sale of its county-owned skilled nursing facility since May and its work is still ongoing.

During County Executive John Pavelski’s report to the committee, he said he has spoken with an interested buyer who had recently purchased another county-owned facility and was “thoroughly impressed” and he “recommend(s) we continue to pursue the option of a sale of the Health Care Center.”

Pavelski also stated the Health Care Center Committee has “no jurisdiction over the sale of the Health Care Center” and that he was only telling them about his efforts toward a sale “as a courtesy.”

Over 10 members of the public and several County Board members who are not members of Health Care Center Committee spoke during the public comment portion of Thursday's meeting. Almost all of the citizens spoke in favor of maintaining the county-owned skilled nursing facility while one questioned the current building's population capacity and the need to help all members of the community. Board members largely asked clarifying questions and made statements about the nature of the agenda item.

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. Instead, a new referendum is being developed in preparation for the spring election.

“The full county board has the privilege to put that referendum language on the ballot in April,” committee chairman and District 1 Supervisor Vincent Miresse said. “If they do not move to support it, it will not be there and we are in the same predicament that we are today.”

The 2022 referendum approved a tax increase of up to $4.5 million per year for 20 years to help with the operating deficit of the current building and to build a new facility. The new proposed referendum may add another $3.5 million per year to accomplish the same goal, account for increased costs and provide a buffer of funds in case costs increase again, District 6 Supervisor and committee member Shaun Przybylski said during Thursday's meeting.

Discussion about the future of the Health Care Center may continue to be discussed at any of three upcoming committee meetings including Space and Properties on Dec. 5, Finance on Dec. 11 and the next Portage County Health Care Center Committee meeting on Dec. 20.

The Portage County Board will meet Dec. 19, and a potential referendum question needs to be approved before Jan. 23 to appear on the spring ballot.

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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 future uncertain amid talks of sale