TOP STORY: Winneshiek Medical Center could ask for over $1 million in tax subsidy

(After our news story Thursday (http://www.decorahnews.com/news-stories/2012/11/4047.html) about a statement by Winneshiek Medical Center officials that "we may have to consider increasing the (property) tax subsidy (by Winneshiek County taxpayers)," several readers contacted us, asking basically the same question that Nicki asked: "If that moves ahead, would it be a ballot issue or is that an issue that the board of WMC just requests and is granted from our county taxes?"

Mr. Answer Person says: Winneshiek Medical Center is organized under Chapter 347 (a) of the Iowa Code.  That ordinance says a county "revenue" hospital can ask for a property tax subsidy "not to exceed one dollar and eight cents per thousand dollars of assessed value on all the taxable property in the county."  Winneshiek Medical Center has been receiving a subsidy of 44 cents per thousand dollars of assessed value.  There is just over $973 million in assessed value in Winneshiek County this year.  So the hospital has been receiving $429,000--but could ask for as much as $1,051,507.

As for the question of who authorizes this subsidy, that's somewhat uncertain (welcome to the legal profession!)  The ordinance calls for the board of hospital trustees to "certify" the revenues needed and for the board of supervisors to make the amount available.

But whether the county board votes on the request or whether the hospital board can receive the money just by asking for it is a question I bet we'll get a legal opinion about.  Stay tuned!