Winneshiek Medical Center official says $1.1 million in local property tax support would be fair

Winneshiek County residents currently pay a total of $454,000 in property taxes for the operation of Winneshiek Medical Center.  WMC Chief Administrative Officer Gretchen Dahlen says an increase to $1,106,000 in property tax subsidy would be more in keeping with what taxpayers in other Iowa counties pay to support Critical Access Hospitals such as WMC.
 
Dahlen says Winneshiek County's tax subsidy of Winneshiek Medical Center is the fifth lowest tax subsidy in the state.  Currently taxpayers pay just over 80 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation towards the hospital.  Other Iowa hospitals receive anywhere from 16 cents to $2.90 per $1,000 per assessed valuation.  Increasing Winneshiek County's mill rate for hospital purposes to the median of other Iowa counties would generate an additional $374,000 in revenues.
 
Also, most Critical Access Hospitals receive a subsidy for the operation of their ambulance services—ranging from 10 cents to 27 cents per $1,000.  That would bring in another $278,000 to the hospital.
 
The amount of taxpayer subsidy to Winneshiek Medical Center was last increased in 1993.